C++ Primer Plus, Fourth Edition
By Stephen Prata
Publisher : Sams Publishing
Pub Date : November 14, 2001
ISBN : 0672322234
Pages : 1128
C++ Primer Plus, Fourth Edition presents the ANSI C++ standard beginning with a discussion of the essential elements of C++ programming: loops, expressions, functions, and classes. It walks readers through the basics of object-oriented programming: classes, inheritance, templates, and exceptions, as well as the latest object-oriented programming techniques. C++ Primer Plus contains hundreds of sample programs. The friendly tone, concise programs, and end-of-chapter review exercises allow beginners to write their own programs immediately.
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Preface to the Fourth Edition
Learning C++ is an adventure of discovery, particularly because the language accommodates several programming paradigms, including object-oriented programming, generic programming, and the traditional procedural programming. C++ has been a moving target as the language added new features, but now, with the ISO/ANSI C++ Standard of 1998 in place, the language has stabilized. Contemporary compilers support most or all of the features mandated by the standard, and programmers have had time to get used to applying these features. The Fourth Edition of C++ Primer Plus reflects the ISO/ANSI standard and describes this matured version of C++.
C++ Primer Plus integrates discussing the basic C language with presenting C++ features, making this book self-contained. It presents C++ fundamentals and illustrates them with short, to-the-point programs that are easy to copy and experiment with. You'll learn about input and output, how to make programs perform repetitive tasks and make choices, the many ways to handle data, and how to use functions. You'll learn about the many features C++ has added to C, including the following:
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Classes and objects
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Inheritance
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Polymorphism, virtual functions, and RTTI (runtime type identification)
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Function overloading
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Reference variables
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Generic, or type-independent programming, as provided by templates and the Standard Template Library (STL)
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The exception mechanism for handling error conditions
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Namespaces for managing names of functions, classes, and variables
C++ Primer Plus brings several virtues to the task of presenting all this material. It builds upon the primer tradition begun by C Primer Plus nearly two decades ago and embraces its successful philosophy:
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A primer should be an easy-to-use, friendly guide.
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A primer doesn't assume that you already are familiar with all relevant programming concepts.
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A primer emphasizes hands-on learning with brief, easily typed examples that develop your understanding a concept or two at a time.
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A primer clarifies concepts with illustrations.
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A primer provides questions and exercises to let you test your understanding, making the book suitable for self-learning or for the classroom.
The book helps you understand this rich language and how to use it.
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It provides conceptual guidance about when to use particular features, such as using public inheritance to model what are known as is-a relationships.
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It illustrates common C++ programming idioms and techniques.
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It provides a variety of sidebars, including tips, cautions, and real-world notes.
We (the author and editors) do our best to keep the presentation to-the-point, simple, and fun. Our goal is that by the end of the book you'll be able to write solid, effective programs and enjoy yourself doing so.
Like the previous editions, this book practices generic C++ so that it is not tied to any particular kind of computer, operating system, or compiler. All the programs were tested with CodeWarrior Pro 6 (Macintosh and Windows) and Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0, and most were tested with Borland C++ Command-Line Compiler 5.5, Gnu g++ 2.9.5 running under DOS, and Comeau C/C++ 4.42.5 running under Linux. Only a few programs were affected by compiler non-conformance issues.
C++ offers a lot to the programmer; learn and enjoy!
