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C++ Primer Plus (5th Edition)

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Editorial Reviews

If you are new to C++ programming, C++ Primer Plus, Fifth Edition is a friendly and easy-to-use self-study guide. You will cover the latest and most useful language enhancements, the Standard Template Library and ways to streamline object-oriented programming with C++. This guide also illustrates how to handle input and output, make programs perform repetitive tasks, manipulate data, hide information, use functions and build flexible, easily modifiable programs. With the help of this book, you will:

Learn C++ programming from the ground up.
Learn through real-world, hands-on examples.
Experiment with concepts, including classes, inheritance, templates and exceptions.
Reinforce knowledge gained through end-of-chapter review questions and practice programming exercises.

C++ Primer Plus, Fifth Edition makes learning and using important object-oriented programming concepts understandable. Choose this classic to learn the fundamentals and more of C++ programming.

Customer Reviews

If you are new to C++, this is THE C++ you need to read. There is another book called "C++ Primer" (no plus). The following comment is what I wrote for the book C++ Primer, which may give you some idea of the difference between these two:

This is a great book for anyone who want to enhance his/her knowledge
on C++, but this is by no means a primer book. If you are new to C++,
read the book "C++ primer plus" first. It is so funny that the book
"C++ primer plus" (which is also a great book) is really an introductory
book. The names of these two books should be swapped because C++ Primer
introduces more advanced topics and the topics that an experience programmer should know but a student does not need to. From my teaching experience in a state university, I would suggest students to read C++ books in the following order:

C++ primer Plus
C++ Primer
Thinking in C++ (great book, free on the internet)
The C++ Programming Language (by Stroustrup)

Then you may want to read some books on special topics such as Visual C++, Database, etc.

Stephen Prata: give the man a cheer (beer!) (or many)! This book is good...no, not good...GREAT! A book doesn't last 20 years (yes, 20) through various editions (5 obviously) without being something special. And this is no exception. This is unqeustionably the best beginner/intermediate book on C++ I have ever read (it pains me to say it...but it has dethroned Object oriented programming in c++ by Lafore, ISBN 0672323087 in that respect). Maybe it's just me, but Prata has a tone (a way) that just makes it VERY easy to relate to the concepts he is trying to explain. He doesn't belabor a point, nor does he treat you like a gumby or one of his colleagues to impress with his knowledge of the arcana of C++. He, oddly enough, seems more interested in teaching you (properly) then trying to get paid (look at the size of the book! if he were looking to get paid, cut the book in half, sell it in two parts or sell one reduced size part for the same price).

Prata offers fair coverage of the language: particularly the basics, as well as some nice software engineering opinions along the way (not in little colored boxes like Deitel with an Ant picture...which is cool: the ant analogy just annoys me- loss of identity, no individuality, part of a hive, etc...). Obviously he can't cover everything. Check out the chapter listing to see if he has what you want! But what he does cover-> the ++basics are extremely well done. There are programming exercises at the end of each chapter of course (with answers).

Prata has adopted a friendly, welcoming tone, laced with humor (not insipid humor, or just plain lame). He doesn't lambast microsoft or push any particular product/compiler. He provides little tips if you're using new or old, non-ansi-c++ compliant compilers. This is just a really helpful, useful, good to learn from book. I've read it to recover some obfuscated c++ knowledge lost from spending too long in java land (a nice, highly productive place...but just a little too safe if know what I mean: everything is fenced in and there are no pointers for self navigation!), so my opinion may be from somebody who is not a beginner. Nevertheless, having taught people, i would suggest this: this is a pedagogically sound work that offers achievement and understanding for anybody willing to step up and take a serious whack at c++. Read it and enjoy a true rarity nowadays: someting that not only lives up to its promise, but goes beyond it. This is money that is sure to be spent in a non-resentful manner: there's no buyer's remorse here! There's nothing about this book that I find weak.

Very well done Mr Prata!

Definitely Two thumbs up!

The decorously named "C++ Primer Plus, fifth edition" is a book for C++ beginners and those who would consider themselves a C++ virtuoso. C++ Primer Plus doesn't follow the trend of being the type of programming book that you either learn from and set away forever on a dusty shelf nor the type that you can use as a reference guide but can't use it to learn from. This is one of the few programming books I have read that I have both learned from and can still use as a perfectly suitable reference guide.

In C++ Primer Plus, you are lead through the "cin's" and "cout's" of C++. In this book you will be given well guided lessons with examples from the basic to the advanced features of this wonderfuly capable programming language. You will learn the common C++ programming idioms and techniques as you turn the pages, each example constructed clearly and professionally. One of the great features attributed to this book is the dedication to teaching its readers C++, one being each example code given to you to
use was carefully crafted to be compitable with most popular and even a few less heard of, C++ compilers.

The author is also good at explaining each piece of code with wonderful precision and patience, so well in fact they don't have to provide constant screen shots to show what they are trying to explain - unlike many other programming books.

If you have ever wanted to learn a programming language that is greatly respected in the business world, then I would of course suggest picking up C++. If you want a great book to learn from and use as a guide throughout your programming life for C++, then I suggest picking up "C++ Primer Plus, fifth edition". Just as much as I appreciate this book for its ability to teach people directly, I equally would recommend this book as a
good teaching text for those of you who may already know C++ but find it hard to teach others. I myself hope to use this book to teach others by one day.
-Rift-

I'm a very picky kind of guy when it comes to buying books on programming. To see what I think of this book, you should read my little story.

When I entered the wonderful world of programming, I chose Visual Basic .NET. This language was famous for being easy to learn. What I didn't know was that it had grown into something more complex, and .NET is a bit tougher to learn than any of the previous versions. So I thought it would only be natural that I needed to buy a couple of books to master the language.

The more books I bought, the more I got sick and tired of authors who weren't able to follow simple naming conventions. Another annoying thing with .NET books is that you can find one sentence in almost all of them saying, "You don't need to know this" when it comes to using built-in functions. Whether I need to know something or not is my decision, not the author's decision. So the author's job is to explain it, and if I really "don't need to know it", I can skip the section. But to make matters worse, most authors didn't even switch to .NET and continued writing bad code as they did with previous versions of Visual Basic, which has nothing to do with .NET. In consequence, I switched to C#, hoping that things would get better.

After the switch, I could still use my Visual Basic .NET books because the syntax is so similar. But I decided to buy some C# books since I hoped that quality would get better. In fact, quality did get much better. But another problem was still the same: most beginning .NET books are too trivial, too superficial, and too incomplete. For a good start with .NET, you need quite a couple of books. The nine books on .NET I own range from beginner topics to advanced topics, but I still find it's incomplete and much too superficial. Not even all the books together give me the information I want.

In terms of syntax, C# and C++ are quite similar. If you can read C# code, then you can read C++ code and vice versa. I know that many C++ book authors go a bit deeper, so I decided to buy a book on C++ to see if that could provide me with the information I want and need. After some research, I ordered C++ Primer Plus mainly based on the excellent reviews here at Amazon.

The reader arrived quickly, and I started immediately. After the first chapter, I knew I had wasted a lot of money - on the nine books I own, that is. This one is a beginner's book, but it goes much deeper than all the other books I own together. If I had known this before, you can be damn sure that C++ Primer Plus would be the only beginner's book on my shelf.

The author has written a true jewel - coherently, concise, and fun to read. It even covers topics that you can't find in advanced .NET books, so I guess another switch is about to happen.

If I had to vote for the best beginner's programming book, this is it. No matter at what level you are, this book is great to have on your shelf. You'll appreciate Stephen's talent to get you started in case you've never touched programming before. If you think you're advanced, put this book on your shelf - it's great for reference as well. Fed up with superficial .NET? Come over to C++, Stephen makes it so simple. Want to continue with .NET? No problem, I have nine books for sale.

I was learning C++ in order to program music applications. I found this book to be the clearest computer book of any I have ever read. He orders his thoughts clearly. The examples maintain interest. Unlike the "learn c++ quickly"-type books, he goes into great detail on subjects like dynamic memory allocation etc. You will be programming simply in hours (my ten year old could program the first few chapter exercises), but can go the the high intermediate level with this one book. Don't waste your time with any other c++ book. Get this one first!

If you already know some basic programming concepts, and want to see how C++ works as compared to what you already know, this book is fantastic. You can be writing your own programs in a short time. He does not shy away from explaining fairly complex things early in the text, and makes sure to explain everything he uses in every code listing, which is very very helpful. I'm not sure I would use this book if I had never written a program in any language, though -- the same explanations that I appreciated might be too much for a complete novice.

I've been working through this book to learn C++. It is an excellent teacher. I particularly like that it does not assume I am an expert C programmer like so many other C++ books. It also doesn't use C-ish code to do lots of the common tasks.

The exercises are good...not too difficult, not too easy. They tend to take me 15-30 minutes each. I haven't had any problems compiling the examples in the book that I've chosen.

However, when I reached Chapter 13, the binding broke. I now have two books loosely connected by a thin strip of paper. I'll have to rebind it, probably as two different parts. For the cost of this book, I expect a better quality product. None of my heavily used O'Reilly texts have ever had their binding break. So I've subtracted one star for that.

I'm a veteran C programmer and have been given an assignment in C++. I thought the jump would be a piece of cake, because I had sort of looked at C++ many years ago never going much beyond Hello World, and because I had done 2 years of C# programming. It turned out that C++ is considerably more complex than I had expected and it has evolved over the years. I did have Lipmann's C++ Primer in its second edition but nearly every time I tried to read it I would fall asleep. Somehow Lippman's style didn't grab me. I also had some other advanced books, but they were rather dated, and were perhaps the wrong place to start. I had bought C++ in a Nutshell and didn't like it at all as a way of learning C++. So I decided to get an up to date book that focussed on the concept and saw that this was highly recommended.
When the book came in the mail I was shocked at how big it is. I had to take the lift to get back to my apartment ;).
I had been expecting a book around 400 pages, it is 1200 pages. I guess that it's the language's fault.

Since I had a special need: to find a thorough explanation of references as used by functions, I jumped straight to the chapter, and found its style was wonderful. It could not be better. The text is full of reminders of concept he uses, just in case you had not read them very carefully before. I'm finding the style most engaging unlike Lipmann. It reads so well that the extra pages don't matter so much.

I've tried various topics and have found that you can go straight to the topic and get by quite well, because the author is constantly reminding you of the assumptions.

Unlike some other introductions to C++ this one does not stop early, and it insists a lot on what is going on behind the scenes.
I also noticed that it's very usable by people who do not have much programming experience. I would not recommend that anyone start programming with C++ however, it's just too complex. You would be better off starting with Python or Java.

Based on what I have read, it seems that Prata's place in heaven is assured.
The Devil learns C++ in Prata. (sorry I could not resist that one).

Update:
I have been reading this book a while now, and I must say that it's not wonderful as a reference, because it's hard to find information on a specific topic without having read a considerable amount of what was said before. It's also rather hard for me to skim tough the pages to find the explanation of something, so I'll have to use the index. But it's not meant as a reference, (However it does have a few very good reference sections, like the one on the STL) but rather as a teaching book where you go through the chapters one after the other.

I've just been reading the section on Iterators. It's simply the best explanation I have ever read of this topic. I found it much better than Ivor Horton's text on this point.

You will probably want several C++ books, including a reference book like C++ in a Nutshell. Bu dont read the latter until you have mastered the basics with a book like this one.

C++ Primer Plus (5th Edition)
This is probably the best C++ book I have read. It is not overly technical or cryptic, but it can still effectively teach the language to anyone. With just the right amount of humor, it walks the reader through all of the technical concepts.
This book, however, has a very poor binding. Before I even opened the book, I could see that the binding was starting to come apart. Every time I opened it up thereafter, it came apart a little bit more. I understand that this is a 1200-page book, but there is no excuse for the binding.

Book covered all the sections in c++. English is my second language but this is book so easy for me to read and actually I enjoy it cause I can understand every concept with the examples provided. I have read starting out with C++ but C++ Primer Plus has different view about programming(they compiled the C++ in human language).

I've read a lot of reviews before buying a C++ book... this was one of the most highest rated and acclaimed. After a couple of weeks with the book I can say that it deserved every penny. It's clear, concise and with very good code examples. Already two friends of mine who skimmed through my copy decided to buy it!

You need a good reference book if you intend to get anywhere in coding. Books on computer code are written by experts in the field, people who have years and years of experience. Too bad most of them can't write a real, understandable sentence to save their lives. I've read so many bad coding books looking for this one. Some bad books plod through poor examples and dry, dry text then barely cover difficult topics. Others just show you an example code and what it outputs, not telling you why or how it works. This book is totally different. Examples are plentiful and well described. Sections are not only written with the beginner in mind, but also the more experienced coder that just forgot how do do this or that. It strikes a balance between the two that I've never seen elsewhere. One other great feature is that the book is not written for one specific compiler (coding software). So there's no compiler specific code. Because not everyone is using the newest compiler, the book even gives you alternative operations sometimes, just in case.

All in all, it's a well organized, well written and just plain great book.

It's even amazingly light for being so thick.

I bought this book without a lick of knowledge about C++ or C. I am only half way through is and I feel that it teaches the subject very well. The only problem I have encountered so far is a few typos that are in key areas. These typos caused several minutes of confusion while I tried to decipher which part was incorrect. These typos would not be an issue if you had an instructor to help guide you as you progressed.

This is an alround excellent book in that it explains what things are and what they do in a clear and understandable form. The principal fault, as with all books on the the subject of C++, is that some examples tend to be too complicated when something simpler would get the point across.

This book is hands down the best beginnger programming book. While C++'s learning curve is steeper than, say, Python, it forces the author to explain deeper programming theory. Many C++ books do this, and most fail. This book is overwhelmingly the best book I've encountered to explain OOP concepts and usage to a beginner. Regardless of the language you want to write in, this is the book you should start out with if you are going to learn programming for real.

Item arrived on time, this is definitely the best C++ tutorial available in market; explains every concept step by step and is easy to understand, examples are also useful.

I've been through many books on C++. Some are great for pure beginners while others are only useful to the advanced users. This book is a little of both. The approach is geared toward an absolute programming novice, but the information is in depth and complete. I wouldn't recommend this to be the sole reference book for someone cutting their teech on programming, but it would make a great companion text. And to someone who is trying to give themselves a refresher course in C++, this book is perfect. The author comes from an science/astronomy background so many of the excersises are geared in that direction. He has a good sense of humor and keeps the discussion lively. C++ is a highly technical field of study and this book covers just about everything while keeping an eye on the basic nuts and bolts.

This book lives up to the primer series books and is an excellent resource in learning C++.

This book is a good resource for people learning the C++ language, whether you are moving from another language like Java or C# or have very little to no programming experience you will learn a great deal from this book.

The exercises throughout the chapter and the programming challenges at the end of each chapter re-inforce the concepts learned, and the author does a good job of keeping them interesting and relevant to the rest of the chapter.

This book will not teach you advanced C++ but will help you learn the core language and get you well on your way.

C++ Primer Plus (5th edition), by Stephen Prata, is an excellent book for learning the fundamentals of C++. It's practical, informative, easy, complete, and enjoyable!

Here's an outstanding bonus you get: The author teaches you to program using the generic programming concept. In other words, the book shows you how to write C++ code that is portable (requires little to no modification to run on different operating systems); powerful (gets the job done error free); easy to maintain (spend your time designing and coding--not trouble shooting); and educational (gives you lessons in structrual and object-oriented programming methods).

But that's not all!...

The author demonstrates a genuine committment to developing your knowledge, skills, and abilities by providing background information on C++. In fact, the author even discusses the similarities and differences between C and C++ so you can better understanding the language.

If you want a superb foundational education in C++; one that isn't intimidating; one that is useful; one that is fun, then this book is for you.

Beyound a shadow of a doubt...I highly recommend this book to beginners and intermediate programmers. Even expert programmers unfamiliar with the generic programming concept will richly benefit! Finally, I highly suggest to teachers who teach C++ consider adapting this book for their programming course. Your students will praise you for your savvy decision!

Even if you know (nearly) everything about C/C++, read this book carefully! Very thought through concept (I myself am rather sceptical when confronted with didactical books. This times I was wrong!).

New standards are fully integrated (no appendix with new features!). No manual for special compilers, but a realy plattform-independ book about C++. Very helpfull for learning.

but not exactly a good one either. i have just completed chapter four, ~70 pages in length, covering structures, enumerators, arrays, and pointers, among other topics.

there are only 9 exercises for this material. 9!

deitel and deitel, although not without its own numerous demerits (that some material is poorly explained being among the worst), would, for this quantity of material have 25 exercises, some of them difficult, but many of them interesting.

i don't think one can learn to program (which this book purports to do) on such a limited, generally simplistic, diet of exercises.

i would say this work is overly dense with information, but limited in instructional value.

tlt

I have been reading C++ beginner books for quite a bit and this book, "C++ Primer Plus (5th ed)" takes the cake. Nothing have I ever read has even came close to teaching and explaining everything you need to know to begin C++. Every detail is specfic and well thought-out. I have looked into some of the previous editions of the C++ Primer, and they weren't as directed to the beginner as this book is. It's completely new and updated, specfically directed to the beginner.
Nothing beats the assignments and questions after each chapter, to get you to better understand the language.

If you want to start C++, nothing beats this book.

... but let me just hit the important parts:

SUMMARY: Buy this book. :)

A 3 step technique is used to deliver the lessons every C++ programmer will need to know:

1. The concept
2. The code
3. What the code is doing

Other useful tidbits are compatibility warnings for older compilers (the book even shows how to get the code to work in those situations) and summaries of the key information in each chapter.

With this being the 5th edition, the examples and concepts are of excellent quality.

Even so, there are some 'very' minor errors/typos in the text (haven't noticed any in the code yet) that a careful reader is sure to spot. Unfortunately I've yet to see an errata listing on the website for the book. So far this has not been an issue for me at all.

TIP:
The website for the book has changed in the last week. If you visit the old site you will be redirected to Informit's site where you will have to register in order to get the code. Just search for the book's isbn# to find it.

My suggestion is to buy this book, download the example files and compile them. I've referred to them quite often as I've gone through this book.

This is the best programming language book I've ever seen. Concepts are clearly and thoroughly presented. The author doesn't gloss over or ignore the more subtle aspects of the material, but explains them elegantly.

No one learns C++ in 21 Days or 24 Hours. It is not an easy language. But readers who are motivated to truly learn the language, as opposed to just picking up the bare minimum, will find everything they need here.

Let me start off: This book has over 1000 pages and will take quite a long time to finish. So far, I've enjoyed this book. Only one problem though. Ending a chapter with programming exercises is great! However, the author does not provide example answers in an appendix at the end of the book like he does for the review questions, -so you are left to speculate whether your answer to each question is correct, something that could lead to confusion. Aside from that, I couldn't find a thing wrong with the book! I really enjoyed the hand holding that goes on throughout the text and feel this is necessary for a beginning book. Let's face it, learning to program is tough! This book is awesome and provides the foundation, or seed from which a student could easily understand, and grow what will be a fruitful learning experiance into their foray of C++ programming.

My son's a grad student in Digital Production Arts (DPA) at Clemson University and has a BFA in Fine Arts. Because the DPA program is by nature computer programming-intensive, he has to take several prerequisite programming courses. I bought him the C Primer when he was struggling with that course and it made a huge difference. So I bought him the C++ Primer Plus because it was by the same author. For those for whom computer programming does not come naturally, these books by Stephen Prata are a lifesaver. I highly recommend them.

I have a lot of computer books and this is the best written of them all. Extremely clear, detailed, excellent review sections and summaries.

I have had other C++ for beginners books but this one is the best. The most complete explanations. He teaches not only how to do it but also WHY the computer is doing what it is doing, this makes it easier to write your own programs.

Guys, I am going to be honest with you. Do not be shocked for its size. Trust me, it worths it :)

Whatever I have learned for / with C++ it's because of this book. Thanks to Dr. Stephen Prata who has done a remarkable job; we all should thank him for his valuable contribution. Without this book I couldn't be sure if I could learn C++.

Also guys remember! This book is for NEWBIES :D

For those who want to learn advanced programming features just search here and I am sure that you will find lots of valuable books :)

Kindest Regards,

Stefanos

I started first with "C Primer Plus, 5th Edition" by the same author and was already convinced about the quality of the information presented by Stephen Prata. This is why I had not doubts when I bought "C++ Primer Plus, 5th Edition" and, guess what ? Again, what an excellent book ! Well written, a lot of very useful examples, a lot of humor, as usual.

If you already have a background in C, this book will be easier to follow.
However, some parts are more difficult to understand because of the complexity of C++. In my opinion, C++ is a complete different way of thinking, and not only because of the OOP.
But do not panic, Stephen Prata is there and will present you complex functionnalities in a such way that you will get them rapidly !

So, if you are looking for a quality book about C++, you have found it !

With this book, Stephen Prata has written an indispensable guide to the C++ programming language. Through its seventeen chapters, the author takes a reader from the most basic elements of C++ all the way to more advanced topics such as linked lists, function pointers, templates, and more.

The book is laid out so that it is easy to "start where you need to": if you are a newcomer to C++, start in Chapter 1. If your skills are more advanced, scan through the chapters to find where your knowledge is lacking or your confidence in your skills in that area is weak. (However, even the more advanced programmer may wish to at least do the programming exercises at the end of each chapter, as they do provide an excellent review).

One thing I found refreshing was Mr. Prata's style in writing. In a book this size on a topic of this nature, it would be easy for the material to be dry. Sadly, many programming books are exactly that and can make the study process tedious at best. However, Mr. Prata (Dr. Prata? Forgive me for using the incorrect title if he is a Ph.D.) approaches the topic with a refreshing humor that is lacking in books of this genre. Also, the end of chapter programming exercises are well thought out and very relevant to the material contained in the chapter.

This book is by no means an exhaustive treatment of C++, particularly as pertains to such advanced topics as error and exception handling, STL classes, and templates, and the author says as much at the end of chapter 17. However, a book that WAS an exhaustive discourse on all that C++ offers would more closely resemble a set of encyclopedias.

By all means, I would recommend C++ Primer Plus to ANYONE who programs in C++, would like to learn, or would like to learn more about this powerful language.

This is a wonderful book to get your feet wet with C++ programming. I have picked up a couple of C++ books in the past such as "Sam's Teach Yourself C++ in 24 hours" and "Microsoft Visual C++ .Net" and neither of the two compare to this book.

I also picked up another book "Beginning C++ Through Game Programming" that has a few entertaining exercises in it to go along with this book and using both together has made learning this language a little easier.

This is a great and affordable introduction to C++. C++ is a large programming language which will take years to master, but the hardest part is getting started. Getting started can be particularly difficult if you are not trained in computer science or competent in another medium level programming language such as C or Fortran. There are two basic components to learn in C++. First you need to learn the syntax, then you can learn object-oriented design. One would think that learning the syntax would be easy. However, if you purchase a C++ book dated before 2003, it is highly unlikely that any of the sample code will compile. THERE ARE A LOT OF C++ BOOKS IN PRINT FOR PURCHASE AS "NEW" OR "CURRENT" BOOKS (IE NOT OLDER EDITIONS) WHICH WERE PRINTED BEFORE 2003. If you are a beginner, you do not want to purchase any of these books. Start here.

As an educator, I have read dozens of books that do their best to teach C++, but this book stands alone as the best. It is written for the C++ beginner, makes no assumptions about prior programming experience, and offers a wide variety of review questions and programming projects at the end of each chapter.
It is not a good reference book, but it does not pretend to be. It is a primer, aimed at getting newcomers to C++ on their feet and writing programs swiftly and expertly. If you are looking for a place to start, this is simply it. Look no further.
This book was independently chosen as the official text book for the C++ Beginners website (www.cppbeginners.com), unaffiliated with the author or Amazon.com.

I have been learning as much as I can about computer languages the last 9-10 months or so. I didnt know anything about any language before then. Now I have learned HTML and CSS very well, learned some JavaScript, and some ColdFusion. But I wanted to get to the "Big Dogs" of programming as well as those scripting languages, so I bought this book. After reading the first 150 pages, I learned some things about programming that I had just been using because thats how the language worked. I didnt know WHY it worked, I just knew thats how it was done. But now while reading this book, I understand some of the concepts used in JavaScript and ColdFusion that I had been using just because thats what i saw. This author really explains things so that pretty much even beginning programmers(some experience never hurts but not necessary) could start out with C++. One of the best(if not the best) programming books Ive bought in the past year (and ive bought around 10-11 of 5 or 6 different languages).

It is probably the best C++ book if you are looking for a bible-thick, encyclopedic book. For that, it serves both as a reference book and as a very complete textbook.

However, if you are looking for a quicker read on C++, but still with sufficient material that actually allows you to start writing fairly complex codes, Accelerated C++ by Koenig and Moo is a better option.

I can't tell anyone how much I love this book. For me, a newcomer to C++, this book was excellent. The author is great, has personality, and provides many examples. The book supplies a very broad exposure to C++, but is friendly to the reader nevertheless. I'd recommend this book to anyone seriously considering learning C++. Keep in mind this book is a journey, and not meant to serve as a reference.

PROS:

-There are plenty of examples, some of which are referred to throughout the text (part of the journey/classroom textbook experience).

-Material is continually reviewed over time, helping solidify the material.

-Sidenotes and annotations help pinpoint important material/tips/tricks.

-It's very thorough, and doesn't completely shield a newcomer from advanced topics.

-Questions and programming exercises at the end of the book allow a more intuitive learning experience.

CONS:

-It's a large book, so reading it takes an extensive amount of time devoted to studying.

-Errors and typos humorously begin to grow in the coding examples as the book progresses (whether this is intentional or not, I'm not sure).

This book patiently and thoroughly explains C++ to a degree that is refreshing.

Anyone from a background in other programming languages should take the time and absorb Stephen Prata's insights. The rational and process for C++ is discussed without airs or attitude, but with respect for the goals behind the design features.

The Author also does an excellent job of adding some light humour in just the right places in the book. This humour adds just the right amount of punctuation; allowing one to ponder the concepts just given.

Readers will learn about how cout's streaming works and a host of other things in the mechanics of C++.

If you buy this book I recommend you let go of your time a little bit and enjoy every page written, recognizing the care that went into the text.

For school students, this might be the perfect summer-reading book to add new tools to your programming toolbox.

For the layperson this book has some insights in a computer language that runs a lot of the world, well worth the time to read.

When I first wanted to learn C++, I pulled up a free online tutorial and worked my way through it. I got nothing out of it and only got as far as writing half a program afterwards. I bought this book wanting to give it another try and was not dissapointed at all. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get a solid grasp of the language whether you have some or no programming experience. The author writes clearly and covers all the angles. There is a very short example on almost every page demonstrating the new concepts so you get a good idea of how to structure your code. Stephen Prata makes it look a lot easier than it is, but thats what the practice exercises are for at the end. The examples are so consistant (written with good structure) that it rubs off on you when you start writing your own code (which is the idea). I'm not in school, nor do I work with programmers so its vital to have clear, well written code to learn from. The practice exercises at the end of each chapter help you reinforce the material you've just learned so it sticks with you. The sequence of the material is laid out in a way that its easy to absorb and progress step by step.

What I disliked the most about the book was that not all the practice exercices are answered in the downloadable document. It will list 2 or 3 out of 6 which I don't understand. I can work my way around almost any programming problem, but it can be sloppy and that can lead to bad habbits. Since hands-on is the best way of learning anything, I just don't understand why he didn't take the time to write out all the solutions so that after you solve it you can review where you made mistakes or how you can improve. This does not outweigh the good at all, I just thought it was odd. Also towards the end of the book, Chapters 15-17, you start seeing more and more typos. I'm surprised these simple mistakes didn't get ironed out in the editing (but again these do not draw away from the effectiveness of the book)

If you want to learn C++, this is the book to get. The author not only goes over the technical syntax, but goes in depth about the general approach of Object Oriented Programming. C++ is a huge language and you cannot absorb it all from an online tutorial. With this book, you will not only learn how to write effective code, but you'll understand why its effective. I have a much better understanding of the OOP philosophy and thats extremely important because that can be applied to many other languages. And these philosophies are reiterrated again and again throughout the book to help you understand them. I also gained a better perspective on the differences between C and C++. If your like me, I don't want to just copy lines of code, I want to have a thorough understanding of the reasoning behind the code.

If you are new to programming and want a solid foundation to start with (whether its C++ or another language your interested in) this is the book you should get.

I had purchased the 4th edition of this book several years ago. Wanting to finish what I'd started, and with potential employers demanding C++ skills, I decided to purchase the 5th edition. Having worked through the end of Chapter 12 in the past couple of months, I can safely say that this is a good book to learn C++ if you have a lot of time. I am not going to do a comparison with other books, but I find this particular book easy to follow. Most of my programming background is in MATLAB, with a little bit of C.

However, C++ still is a difficult language to learn. If you decide to go with this particular book, stick with it and do some of the exercises at the end of each chapter to understand C++ better. If you can, buy the Indian edition. It costs about 30% of the US edition and is just as colorful (or colorless).

Mr. Prata displays a great sense of humor, in addition to a very excellent style of discourse. Examples clearly fit his explanations. Easy to read, easy to learn, easy to like. Java-heads, beware!

I have read quite a few books on c++ but this one by far is the best i've read. I don't think it's possible for a better book to come out. Stephen Prata is an excellent teacher, and after reading this have a strong, very deep understand of the language. Great examples, code has been flawless, and even brings humor to the table. Would HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

I'm using this large blue book to teach myself the language and so far I think it is a good resource. The author assumes that you have no prior knowledge of programming. It has lots of examples with good step by step documentation describing what the example program is doing. There are also tons of nerd-friendly jokes. The learning is a bit slow if you read straight through without skipping around, but that's because the author gives you details such as when to use a particular function as opposed to another, potential pitfalls you can encounter and the differing ways you can do the same task. In short, using this book will take you longer to learn the language than it would if you used a shorter book, but it will make you a more knowledgeable programmer.

*important: before reading this book I had lots of experience with [...] and Basic.

I bought this book almost two years ago. On my first run I read the thing up to Chapter 9, this only took me less than a month, for it is written in a very relaxed way. In that month I was on vacations, and I gave three to four hours for of my daily time to this book, which is not very much considering you have to work through examples and stuff. As I was reading it I was conscious that I was becoming in love with the text and explanations, and more importantly, I was loving C++ (well, more C up to that point). Once I entered college as a freshman I had to stop because it was way too demanding for me to seriously work on the book, but in my programming classes I was a complete master. This book is so detailed that even if we worked in C and not C++ (Introduction to Programming was the course) I was able to achieve an A+ without breaking a sweat. This particular course is known to be a serious slut in my college: almost 50% of the class has to retake it.

As timed passed I kept coming back to reread some chapters that had valuable information and that proved to me how good a reference this books also is: the first time I read it, I thought that you HAD to read it from beginning to end, but jumping into chapters is very possible. I was also beginning to advance through the book although at a very slow pace. Until a year ago I was still on chapter 14. This time I took Object Oriented Programming course, and here too, I was top of the class, even If the course is given in the Java programming language. The concepts of OOP are so universal and Prata does such a nice job teaching about the public interface, containment, encapsulation, and other concepts, that even when exposed to a very different language, I was able to succeed.

Two years later I decided that I had had too much and read the whole deal in two weeks. Yes, from chapter 1 to 17 and the appendices. Finally, after reading the "What now?" section at the end of chapter 17, I felt that it was right to write the review, but hadn't had the time. Now I do, and I think my weird experience with it gives me the right to recommend the book in two lights: as an amazing tutorial and reference. Yes, you'll probably have to work through other books (Effective C++ by Meyers, Algorithms in C++ by Sedgewick, STL by Josuttis, and finally The C++ Programming Language by Stroustrup) to be a good and efficient C++ programmer, but this is your best way to start.

Some people say that after reading this you should read C++ Primer (no plus). Well, this was not the case for me. I have worked through all the books mentioned in the parenthesis above, and I never felt lost, never (Stroustrup's was read last I must add). I have read books on DirectX and 3D math (more specifically, Luna's and Dun y Parberry's), and on others topics too (that require some C++), and this book did me much justice.

Hope this helps.

I'v have some experience with C, C++, and C#(my favorite). I bought this book to build my knowlage of C++. I have learned alot from it. It can be read cover to cover and it makes a good reference also. Even though im mainly a C# programmer it helps to know C++. This book is pretty easy to read and the aurthor explains everything in plain english and has plenty of simple examples to complement what he is trying to teach you. Although I couldnt understand some things like explicit template specialization.

I have extensive knowledge of C, but wanted to start learning C++. Since I used Prata's C Primer Plus book to learn C (which is another excellent book from him), I figured what better book to get than to learn C++? I was correct, this is another great book.

However, it does suffer from the same problem as his C Primer Plus book, packing way too much information into one chapter. A lot of the chapters could easily be broken up to make the material less overwhelming and easier to swallow. That being said, this book is thorough and will get you to at least an intermediate level with C++, given of course you put your end of the work as well ;)

Overall, a great book to start learning C++, regardless of what your level of programming experience is. Clear and concise programming examples with full explanations make this book a winner.

I bought this book because I first learned how to program using 'The Waite Group's BASIC Programming Primer' when I was 13 and figured this would bring things full circle. Although by a different author, I hoped the strong legacy left by TWGBPP would compel this volume to find a similar style and purpose. To a high degree it did just that.

In what may be both a word of caution to old hackers and encouragement to beginners, this book is very thorough in what it does cover. The five W's (none related to George) are addressed nearly with individual character-level granularity when examining code. It takes great pains to explain why you need a 'main' function, for example, and the specific significance of terminating (not separating) statements with a semicolon.

While this degree of explanation does become nearly maddening if you've programmed anything (even BASIC) before, it does lend a degree of insight into the language that may otherwise be missed in more casual tomes. The treatment of such things often taken for granted without explanation is what lends the book as a powerful refresher for teachers. At the same time, such long-winded dialog covering the most basic of functions and their syntax (as well as the mechanics of syntax applicable throughout the entire language) introduces C and C++ to the absolute beginner at a rate that keeps the level of fear to a minimum.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a true understanding of the C and C++ languages, and who prefers to enter the pool one step at a time instead of bring thrown in headlong.

I found the book to be very useful. Coming from a self tought background of python, php and vb.net, I found the book adequate to answer every unknown concept I had run into teaching myself other languages.

I wouldn't suggest trying to learn a language like C++ as a starter language, but after reading through most of this book I can not see how I could ever become more than a novice programmer without a little of this type of knowledge.

Some of the later chapters suffer from what I call 'sample asphyxiation', but that is a trend that I noticed in all of programming books I have read.

This is one of the most thorough and complete C++ primer learning books on the market today as well as the most popular by far. I love reading this book, its very interesting and written in a non-text book fashion. The code samples are non-platform specific and are explained very well. This book is a must have for anyone looking in to learn Object Orientated Programming, C++, or just programming; no matter what platform you are using. A+

The first 7 years of my career was with C++. Then came C#. I haven't written a line of C++ in about 5 years. But when a really awesome C++ opportunity presented itself I had to go for it and I needed a book to do a quick review. This book was a great review for me. It brought me up to speed quickly and covered most of what I would expect in a very logical order. There are tons of sample programs where you get the complete listing, followed by a discussion of that listing. Most of the important topics are covered. I would have preferred more coverage of the STL but the book does hit the most common classes and algorithms. All in all it was well worth the money.

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