Rating:  - very pleasant reading
This is a book that covers c++ almost from scratch. I've had no other programming experience than some php and a tiny bit of C before I read this book. It is a real nice introduction both to the language c++, but most important, it is an introduction to the mindset of object oriented programming, it has some real good chapters in the beginning detailing different processes to begin and plan a project in an object oriented fashion.
Rating:  - Rare Good Programming Book
This is one of the rare books, one of the few that I would actually recommend to anyone that is moving into C++ or needs a refresher on the ideas and methods behind programming in C++. You just can't go wrong buying this book.
Rating: - Teaching C++ using a strategy that works
The title of the book is an apt description of the approach taken by Eckel as he steps through the basic features of C++ and object-oriented programming. Rather than show how programs are written in C++, he presents the sequence of ideas that led to the structures and some of the ways they are implemented. This approach is very similar to the one I adopted after my first few years of teaching C++.
For example, when I started teaching C++, my presentation of function overloading was simply an explanation of the different signatures based on the arguments to the function(s). However, it was not until I included some information on name mangling that the students really began understanding it. Another point that makes the features of C++ much more understandable is showing the students how the implicit passing of the this pointer is done when a member method is called.
In this area, Eckel shines as he describes much of the behind the scenes activity of the compiler and linker that makes it all work. The descriptions are complete and yet not overdone. I have been teaching C++ for over ten years and yet there were a few points that were presented in such a way that caused me to change my view of the language. Unless you are one of the top experts in the language, reading this book will teach you something new.
The group that will benefit most from the book are those who are migrating from C to C++. Eckel spends a great deal of time in pointing out the differences between C and C++, using descriptions and short code examples to demonstrate how things are done in both languages. Even if you are coding in C and have no plans to migrate to C++ just yet, the book will be of assistance. As I recently told one of my classes, C as a distinct language is rapidly being phased out. Even those who are now programming in C are probably compiling their code as C++ files to take advantage of the additional error checking. Eckel demonstrates the major advantages of compiling C using a C++ compiler and all C programmers should know these benefits.
Another group that will find this book of value is one that has come about only in the past few years. Java has recently become the language used in the computer science programs of colleges and universities. The first graduates with Java as the language of their full four years have started entering the job market. Therefore, there is a growing group of people who will be forced to make the migration from Java to C++. This is a much harder transition to make than from C++ to Java and this book is an ideal tool to smooth the process.
Eckel makes a major point about programming that is often lost in the rush to learn how to write code. Programs are thoughts represented in a specialized language. Before you can write well in a language, you need to be able to think well in that language. It is the kind of thinking he emphasizes and he is to be commended for doing so. This is a pedagogical strategy that works.
Published in Mathematics and Computer Education, reprinted with permission.
Rating: - Thorough and complete
This is the best C++ book that I own. There are some concepts in C++ I never fully understood until I read this book. The author covers important details regarding the compiler. He also uses an effective technique to decribe complex C++ concepts by solving a problem in both C and C++. Understanding C++ at this level will help readers troubleshoot/understand their problems more effectively.
Rating:  - Good book but leaves a little to be desired
I'm currently a graduate student studying physics. I bought this book because I read "Thinking in Java" by the same author (better book, I highly recomend it), and because I changed labs and now need C++ instead of Java. This book reads similarly to the Thinking in Java book however it lacks the simple, well thought out simplicity of the java book. I've found that this one is not quite as good as a reference, additionally I was extremely disappointed to find that he had 2 volumes for C++ rather than the single Java volume which covered everything. Overall, I do like Eckel's writing style, and for the most part the examples are fairly helpful. There is a definite assumption that you have a fairly mediocre background in C and computer science (Eckel does make this abundantly clear in the introduction). I would recomend this book to other people, however I would not recomend it as a first introduction to C or C++. If you've got experience in another language, this book should be fine for you.
|
