Editorial Review:
With nearly 250,000 sold, Harvey and Paul Deitel'sC++ How to Programis the world's best-selling introduction to C++ programming. Now, this classic has been thoroughly updated! The authors have given this edition a general tune-up of object-oriented programming presentation. The new Fourth Edition has a new code-highlighting style that uses an alternate background color to focus the reader on new code elements in a program. The Deitels' C++ How to Program is the most comprehensive, practical introduction to C++ ever published -- with hundreds of hands-on exercises, roughly 250 complete programs written and documented for easy learning, and exceptional insight into good programming practices, maximizing performance, avoiding errors, debugging, and testing. This new Fourth Edition has an upgraded OOD/UML case to latest UML standard, as well as significant improvements to exception handling and operator overloading chapters. Features enhanced treatment of strings and arrays as objects earlier in the book using standard C++ classes, string and vector. The Fourth Edition retains every key concept and technique ANSI C++ developers need to master: control structures, functions, arrays, pointers and strings, classes and data abstraction, operator overloading, inheritance, virtual functions, polymorphism, I/O, templates, exception handling, file processing, data structures, and more. It also includes a detailed introduction to Standard Template Library (STL) containers, container adapters, algorithms, and iterators. The accompanying CD-ROM includes all the code from the book as well as essential software for learning C++. For anyone who wants to learn C++, improve their existing C++ skills, and master object-oriented development with C++.
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Customer Reviews
Average Customer Rating: 
This book worked for me. 2008-07-18
I purchased this book to teach myself C++. Having an intermediate knowledge of FORTRAN, I found this book very useful.
Pros: Well organized, plenty of examples, and an exploration of a lot of the little nuances of the language that are not immediately apparent.
Cons: Authors can be exceptionally verbose at times and the ever changing font is a little hard on the eyes.
Of Syntax && Semantics....  2006-03-01
The Deitel's give you - the inclined reader either entering into or creating within the programming world - a framework upon which to rectify your programming prognostics. Programming is a fine art, delicate though demanding, and one not readily dealt with by the lazy or pseudo-informed. Take my specific background for instance. A college-level course in Problem Solving with C; essentially an intermediate electrical engineering course teaching the ropes of the C language in addition to hand-coding using the terminal, in a Linux environment. This course offered no options; i.e. the compiler was gcc (can't remember the version, maybe 3.0 or so), the editor was Emacs (wonderful environment, having all the essential tools and debugging features). However, it was a grand experience in that it was learned how programming can only truly be ascertained via actually sitting down, hammering out hundreds of lines of code (thousands in one assignment), and then wracking the brain by having to debug stingy, pesky, occassionaly habitual tid-bits of coding error. Emacs is a joy since it displays run-time errors and their corresponding line(s) in the program itself. However, one can frequently expect to encounter, or have coded, a buggy piece of code on line, let's say, 268; meanwhile, albeit this is the line the compiler has registered or flagged for error, the actual bug may lie all the way up in line 250, or 100, or perhaps even a silly misused or unused constant declaration. After runnig the gauntlet of beginning trials regarding programming - in any language - it is safe to say that you should be fairly confident in your abilities, and view programming as a creative but cautious - still extremely tedious requisites - process and endeavor.
Now, moving onward to C++, a superset derivative of Ritchie's C language from Bell Labs, AT&T - C++ was fine-tuned and developed by Bjarne Strustroup. C++ annoys many programmers of the 80's because it indeed does in many ways restrict the programmer to OOP. On mega projects, this is an invaluable time-saving technique/method. However, C++'s compilers are all based on C-code and assembly, so it is fair to say that whatever one can do in C++, one can do in C. And the hierarchy descends on through assembly - even to machine code for you sadists. Point being, C++ is weaker than C at the machine-level, just as Java is languished in comparison with C++ memory-management. Ultra-fast code requires C and assembly, nifty still-very-speedy code is the mainstay of C++, and hindered financial projects have a love affair with Java. All of the grand arcade-genre games and simulation software is written in C/C++, meaning a convergence, or rather confluence of the two languages. Alright, so now what does Deitel teach the becoming programmer? Nearly everything! This can't be said of many books on an assortment of subjects because, unlike programming, the physical sciences amalgamate a plethora of theory. In coding, this can be done and certainly has been (i.e. nobody but Microsoft has any clue what the code behind MS Office products looks like, though conjectures aren't too taxing; e.g. Linux programs are functional as well), though the learning curve may only be a 1-3 yr stretch. With Deitel's book on C++ in hand, programming becomes that much easier. A senior at my school claims nearly everything he's leanred regarding symantics stems from Deitel and a few other books (i.e. Strustroup's). Assuming you already have a handle on control structures (for, while, do while loops), functions, arrays, pointers (nonintuitive aspect of C/C++), and some knowledge of strings, you're well on your way. If not, learn C before C++ and actually code along the journey - reading alone won't make you into a strong coder. In C++, the Class is the key; in C it is called a Structure, and is just as powerful, however C functions are its ultimate bane. The whole point of OOP for those of you debating learning C++/Java/Python is this: instead of largely separated functions and their calling procedures, C++ makes everything an object - i.e. if you want the Area of a solid shape, be it a sphere, triangle, rectangle, box, etc., you create a class Solid. Now rather than having functions dotting the program all over the place, you can minimize your code to fewer lines pretty much performing the same mathematical procedures. The overhead increases in some situations, but the less code the better; this isn't wholly true, but for the working programmer earning a salary, it is a godsend. Please keep in mind; learning C++ does not make you better than your C-coding boss. Quite the contrary; a C-coder with a decade of experience can produce working programs for all sorts of projects (cross-platform, applications, games, databases, scripts, libraries, physics engines, etc.). However, by learning C++, you'll be able to even improve the efficacy of your C-coding tendencies; e.g. you'll use C less and less. There is one big dilemma regarding C++, and this has to do with it being used more and more like a subset or partioned set of C rather than a superset. There are no books teaching this aspect of advanced programming, not even Deitel.
Strongest points of Deitel: data abstraction (may take a while to digest), operator overloading (perhaps C++'s most useful facet), inheritance (couldn't have OOP without it; it allows different Objects, i.e. a solid and a more definitive object like an engine, to share similar variables and components (constants, function calls...expands the overall scope which is what minimizes amount of code); polymorphism (mechanism for class-based type, member functions marked as polymorphic using 'virtual' keyword, all members w/ a virtual possess a secret/hidden data member); templates (not a personal favorite); exception handling (couldn't live without it); STL library (organized to perfection, read Stroustrup after Deitel and also C++ in a Nutshell by O'Reilly - great author). CGI webprogramming isn't as promising as Java in my book. I only say this because, while porting programs to multiple platforms is simple and easy in C (short programs and header files already exist for open source reuse) it is a pain in C++. Also, the issue that eventually presents itself to the programmer delving into various realms of application development is database access. Take a gander at the wide-ranging options available - e.g. Access, SQL, mySQL, DB2, JDBC, Oracle, etc. Database's are the crux of the modern programming environment (i.e. web-based gaming and virtual environments) and yet can be the most devious of all rudiments to grasp. Java, sponsored more and more by IBM, is going to steal the show; DB2 is just to powerful and efficient. Access is a pain, but SQL is costly and again there's no need for high-cost standardized databases. It is the equivalent of selling candybars; you'll never know which one is best if you can't afford to sample. Lastly, purchase the solutions manual along with the text; it is only 336 pg.'s and covers nearly half the problems in the book. Without it, you won't know how to apply C++ beyond simple text-based programs - you'll still be coding mostly text-based, but the difficulty involved is exponentially vast regarding Deitel's examples and their end-of-chapter problems. Oh, and I'm using gVim6.4 editor, Microsofts free (Enterprise Version!!! sells for almost a grand!) Visual C++.NET 2003 Toolkit and Executable. Here's a brief rundown of the steps involved (gVim6.4 lacks a debugger, so if you're programming for work you might wanna buy the standard .net 2003 environment);
Write your code in gVim6.4 editor:
// Sample Program; simplest example
#include
using std::cout;
using std::endl;
int main ()
{
// print on two separate, vertically adjacent lines
cout << "Hello" << endl;
cout << "Hello, hello again!" << endl;
return 0;
} // end function main
Now open the Toolkit Command Promt (DOS-based), type mkdir C++
press enter, then type 'cd C++ (or c++)' enter, then 'notepad hello.cpp' enter (or whatever filename you choose, e.g. test.cpp) and wallah! You know just click Yes to create the new notepad file, copy your gVim colored syntax into notepad and save. Next, in order to compile and run, you type: cl hello.cpp (this builds the .obj file along with displaying a few lines of compiler-specific details), and then type 'hello'. You should see printed in the terminal immediatley below: Hello
Hello, hello again!
Microsoft has plenty of info on using the command prompt, and it can even compile frameworked .net applications.
THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES  2005-12-09
Why so many CS departments seemingly choose this book is beyond me. After taking an introductory computer science course I'm convinced that I could write a much better tutorial.
The explanations are hardly intelligible. The format is horribly circumlocutious. Jargon is awkwardly explained; the code is horrible; the ordering of topics is inexplicable.
Stay away. Spread the word.
The authority on C++ from the C++ authorities 2005-09-22
This is my 3rd copy of this book. I had the 3rd edition in college, the 2nd edition for a work related project, and finally this copy (4th edition) for another college class. These books definitely got better in later editions, and they were good to begin with.
These guys go over everything, I mean EVERYTHING. The one fault I have heard is that there is too much detail. The fact is, that is the material, there is a lot to C++, and it is well presented here. This material is presented in a very logical manner, with clear thought given to how the student will be learning the material. Do not rush through this book, and do the exercises at the end of the chapters. If you do this you will learn the material, and learn it well. This book is great for the experienced programmer as well. I have been programming for 15 years, and I still learned something reviewing the first chapters.
c++ became fun! 2005-09-01
We are moving from Delphi to C++, i picked up several books and courses, but this one (by the way here in Europe we do have the fifth edition...) made C++ clear and easy to understand. It kickstarted us developing in c++.
Next to C++ they also give a good insight in software developing, UML tools and a deep explanation why things are done in a particulair way. So the book is not simple a list of all the possibilities with C++, but alsos give background on development en programming, something missing in most publications.
I can advise it to all stepping into C++, it's worth every Euro i paid for it and all the sleep it has costed me.
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