December 18, 2002
Living Up to the New Standard: O'Reilly Releases "Practical C++ Programming, 2nd Edition"
Sebastopol, CA--Powerful, highly flexible, and adaptable for use in a
wide variety of projects, C++ is already one of the most popular
programming languages in the world. Now that it has become a standard
listed by ANSI, the use of C++ is likely to increase. Yet, the language
remains relatively difficult to learn, even by programmers already well
versed in C. In this updated edition of Practical C++ Programming
(O'Reilly, US $39.95), author Steve Oualline describes the new C++
landscape, with strong emphasis on design principles and good coding
"There are a number of 'hot' languages out there that people go crazy
over, but most of the programming is in C and C++," Oualline comments.
"When I was teaching C, I wanted a book that discussed two things:
style and common mistakes. None of the textbooks out there did, so I
wrote extensive notes to give to these classes. The notes became the
basis for this book."
A complete tutorial for the beginning programmer and for C programmers
transitioning to C++, "Practical C++ Programming" takes a useful,
down-to-earth approach to all aspects of the language. Oualline teaches
programmers how to debug, how to make code understandable to others,
and how to understand other people's code. With short to-the-point
chapters, his book also covers the basics of program design and elegant
coding style, as well as how to find and avoid common programming
mistakes. Readers not only learn C++ syntax--what to use and what not
to use--but how to write clear, maintainable code and how to design and
debug programs in a systematic way. Each chapter includes exercises to
help ensure programmers that they've grasped the concepts before moving
"Every other book says 'type this in, it works,'" Oualline remarks.
"Mine says, 'this contains programs with bugs in them. Type one in,
sweat over it for three hours and you will have learned.'"
The new edition of "Practical C++ Programming" also reflects the newly
created standard, guiding programmers through significant changes that
have taken place in recent years. In spite of the popularity of C++,
most programmers use nonstandard subsets of the language because their
compilers and libraries do not conform to the C++ standard. In 2002,
for the first time, a compiler emerged that correctly handles the
entire language. Oualline's new edition includes a chapter on the C++
Standard Template Library (STL), as well as new chapters on programming
design and object-oriented design.
"C++ remains the main programming language today," Oualline says,
noting that, as the first object-oriented language created in 1983 as a
superset of the C language, C++ allows software engineers to organize
and process information quickly and effectively, and is considered by
many as the best language for creating large-scale applications. "Those
who know the basics of programming but don't know C++, or C programmers
who want to upgrade their skills, will find this new edition useful."
Practical C++ Programming, 2nd Edition
By Steve Oualline
ISBN 0-596-00419-2, Order Number: 4192
574 pages, $39.95 US, $61.95 CA, 28.50 UK
O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.
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