Customer Reviews

Accelerated C++: Practical Programming by Example

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book was awesome, one of the best i ever read. It says the same things of a miriad of other books, but in a exceptional way, simply, fast, correct.
You'll be sing the stl in the first chapter, no mixed c/c++ programming here, only true c++.
This book is small, but trust me it has all you need to start really using c++, no stupid example, no stupid code, every single page is filled with usefull information.
Absolutely a must have.

I have purchased way too many C++ books. I see the rut in which all authors seem to get into when writing this type of book. They seem to always fall back into the "old school" "set in concret" methods. This book breaks the traditional C++ education style.

The authors take a very simple example and start building on it. They add bits and pieces of code which support the example. They don't simply add function and code to provide an example, they add functional pieces which you would need in any program you write.

Very well thought out and solid! I have been hoping that they would translate the book style into Java and C#.

There is a running debate as to weather this book is a book for beginners. The answer is yes and no. If you're an experienced "professional" programmer looking to learn C++ then this book is excellent. If you are new to programming and want to learn your 1st language then this book will be over your head. This is NOT an introduction to programming. It's a solid introduction to C++.

I'm a 16 year developer who has worked in COBOL, Visual Basic, Delphi and Java. I ordered this book on the recommendation of a colleague and I started reading it on a Saturday morning. By mid afternoon I had completed the entire book and had a firm grasp on C++. The book is clear, concise and effective. After reading this book, your C++ foundation will be laid and anything else you need can be looked up on a reference basis. It's an excellent way to learn the language and get up to speed quickly.

I used this when I was in my first year studying in Turku AMK. Well, this book saved me! I passed! Some things are complicated and some examples are too short. It wasn't clear how to write a program with c++. You have to be really good in C++ if you make programs with this book.

If you have programmed before--not necessarily in C++ or C--_Accelerated C++_ is probably the best C++ tutorial for you. If, however, you have never programmed before, you will probably want to do the exercises of an easier tutorial before using _Accelerated_. Not a primer to teach you how to programme, it is a primer to teach you the fundamentals of C++. _Accelerated_ is revolutionary, because, unlike typical primers, it uses C++'s standard library often and early. To get a better idea of how revolutionary, an explanation is necessary.

Earlier versions of C++--known as "C with Classes"--have been in use since 1980. But many so-called C++ tutorials still treat C++ as an extended form of C instead of the completely separate language that it is today. It has its own idiom. These tutorials, for example, use C-style string literals instead of C++'s string type and use arrays instead of C++'s vector type. This traditional way of teaching C++ results in errors and frustration among beginners--a major headache when trying to learn C and an unnecessary burden when trying to learn C++.

Fortunately, as implied, C++ has evolved, and a library--the standard library--has been developed to help programmers become productive more quickly and with less errors. _Accelerated_ is one of those few tutorials that uses this standard library early and often to quickly allow the beginner to write nontrivial programmes. On page 9, for example, you are already introduced to the string type. On page 12, you are already introduced to a member function of the string type. Compare this with common primers that tack on a chapter at the end about the standard library as an afterthought.

The authors let you in on subtleties that most experienced C++ programmers know but may appear strange to novices. You learn, for example, why it is better to count from _0_ than from _1_ in for-loops. The authors never condescend. Their explanations are clear and convincing. The range of material covered and the depth of the coverage go beyond what you will find in an average tutorial. The discussion of controllable handles, for example, will probably be quite abstract for some beginners. Both authors are respected for their knowledge of C++. (Koenig is the Project Editor of the C++ standards committee.)

Not only are their technical skills outstanding, they know how to teach. Who would choose to introduce pointers at the halfway point in the book and describe them as a kind of random-access iterator and only after you have had plenty of experience using iterators? The result is an easier time learning pointers. The authors have taught C++ at Stanford University, and this ability to teach is revealed throughout the book.

At only 336 pages, you may wonder how such a small book can revolutionize learning C++, especially when other outstanding books like the special edition of _The C++ Programming Language_ by Bjarne Stroustrup is 1040 pages, and the third edition of the _C++ Primer_ by Stanley B. Lippman and Josee Lajoie is 1237 pages. Part of the reason is that the authors are excellent technical writers who have mastered the art of conciseness.

Where example code is presented, if needed later, you are asked to refer to earlier pages clearly indicated instead of the code being reproduced verbatim. Sometimes you are briefly asked to rewrite the material in a chapter using classes that the authors have provided and that you have extended. Conciseness. Koenig and Moo say that they have concentrated on those parts of C++ that "are so universally important that it is hard to be productive without understanding them."

The authors present standard C++ and ignore proprietary extensions. From the book's web site you can download source code for UNIX and similar systems, .NET, Visual C++ 6.0, and Borland C++Builder version 5 or later. There is also some support for Macintosh users. And how difficult are the exercises? The overwhelming majority is of no more than moderate difficulty, with some challenging ones sprinkled in. But this is only if you do the hard work of concentrating on what is written and doing your best to complete each exercise. Many of the exercises build on your answers to previous exercises. Be extra careful, because no solutions are provided. There is no answer book. The authors should, however, have indicated each exercise's level of difficulty, as this will give you some idea of what to expect.

Do not let the long errata list discourage you. The authors are perfectionists. It is better, moreover, to have all the errata posted on the book's web site than to be pulling your hair, because just about every technical book is going to have errors. Neither the book nor, as this is written, the book's web site mention how to get started in using a compiler, so if you do not know how to use one, you will have to read the documentation that came with the compiler, ask someone, or use the Internet to find the answer. Near the end of the book, the authors recommend, for further study, _The C++ Programming Language_. I disagree. You should buy it along with _Accelerated_ not after it. It is useful for reference and for solving some of the exercises, as you can often find hints and helpful information in this book which is considered mandatory by many professional C++ programmers.

_Accelerated_ and _The C++ Programming Language_ are widely regarded as the best as regular readers of the Usenet discussion forums alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++, comp.lang.c++, and comp.lang.c++.moderated already know. When book recommendations are requested or the best C++ books are commented on in these forums, these books are, invariably, mentioned the most. They also received the Association of C & C++ Users' highest recommendation. These books are difficult and demand effort, patience, and persistence.

A tremendous amount of thought and care and planning went on behind the scenes before Koenig and Moo approached their word processors. If you are serious about acquiring a solid C++ foundation, there is nothing better.

I have to put this book at the top of my list for first buys for people who are beginning a transition into C++ from another language, or for people who have just learned C++ and need to get their scope of the entire language pieced together properly. From the first page until the last you'll gradually develop a program that will cover most of the important components of C++. This book is different in that you'll learn how to write a complete program at the end of the book, whereas other books will usually give you the pieces and hope you'll understand how to put them together. If you're new to programming then you might want to pick up a purely beginner book first and then get this one second. Otherwise I think this book would make an excellent choice as your first C++ book and the one you'll end up refering to the most.

Ok i wrote my first review when i started with learning C++ , now when a went through whole book and started with the C++ programming language i think it's time to rewrite this review.
To keep things short i'll only write pros and cons :
Pros:
-Great unique approach of teaching to solve usefull problems
from the start , not just showing the language features
-Compaq and efficient (make you to think about the language not just showing you receipies , this is great because once you learn why this thing is done like is done , you'll never forgath it and know how to use it in solving your own problems)
-Great writing style (English isn't my first language but i never felt any problem with this book)
-Very good taste for choosing problems covered , even if i a feel there should be more exercises ( I'm gonna definately have to buy Authors other book Ruminations in C++ , need a lot of exercises in order to master the language).

Cons:
-Lack of chapter about using compiler , there is nothing about even at authors site. Adding few pages about most widely used compilers like Visual C++ 6 or Net , Dev-Cpp , Borland will prevent from beginners' frustration.
Hello , world ! words pop up and vanished real night mare.
-I think there should be more exercises an the end of each chapter and solutions would be great.
Conclusion:
This is not a book for an
1 Absolute beginner, (shouldn't be your first programming book, but it could be second)
2 Nor for someone needing detailed guidance -AUTHORS WONT HOLD YOUR HAND ALL WAY LONG you'll have to make your way through
3 I would be carefull to suggest it for young reader someone like less than 15 years old , because of author vocabular.

Anyone else should go for it:
Thank you , Andrew Koenig & Barbara E. Moo
for writing this excellent book.
Slobodan
PS.
if you're questioning yourself why does your Hello,world ! side effect pop-up and disappear you should:
If you are using Dev-C++ : go to file
new project ,choose MS-DOS console project .Ok
When you compile and run your code (shortcut is ctrl +f10) it will stay there
i suggest Dev-C++ at the beginng to concentrate on the language

Bar none, Accelerated C++ is the best C++ tutorial book published for the intelligent programmer. Accelerated C++ teaches C++ "as though C didn't exist" - bringing the reader into direct contact with the useful, interesting parts of the language, and making the conscientious productive at an early stage. Templates and the STL are introduced early, acclimating the reader quickly into the world of "real" C++. Additionally, the reader benefits from realistic application of C++ concepts in chapter-to-chapter rolling examples, building upon the work of earlier chapters (with extensive cross-references). By Chapter 12, the reader finds himself well-capable of writing useful applications (albeit command-line apps, look for GUI work elsewhere) and ready for the conceptual test the final chapters present. Truly, this book is the standard by which all others should be judged.

Read with a reference (Lippman's C++ Primer is recommended, along with Josuittis' C++ Standard Library) and a compiler at hand, any reader - old-hand or newbie - capable of focused reading and conscientious working of examples will find Accelerated C++ an epiphany. It spurred me to further investigation of concepts I've far too-long avoided in my years of C++ work, and brought me closer to the level at which I wish to perform. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, and will require it of my students.

This book is wonderful. The negative reviews of this book pain me greatly because they seem mainly to involve misunderstandings. Some people were frustrated, and I was too at some points, but mostly that had to do with the tool I used, Microsoft C++, not the language, and not the book.

One reviewer complained about having to check the lengthy errata on the website to work through some examples. The reviewer maybe doesn't realize that this is a GOOD thing. So many other books do not have errata on-line at all, or errata that are so scanty as to be almost useless. And those are books that need it much more than this one. The authors of this book clearly work very hard to keep the on-line errata up to date for the benefit of their readers.

The authors clearly go out of their way to write for the sake of their readers. They are teachers, and it shows in their writing. They want their readers to learn the material, and they want their readers to enjoy themselves. They want their readers to see the beauty of the material. They care about the quality of their book. This sounds like something that should be obviously true, but if you have read other computer books, you should know it usually is not.

Finally as to the material itself, this book is wonderful. I was a programmer in another language, reading this book for self improvement, and I just loved learning about the STL, which is just so much fun and so cool. :)

This is a great book for anyone who is really motivated to learn C++. The authors get you writing useful programs in just minutes. In another review someone mentioned that this book doesn't make a good reference. Thats because it's not a reference. It's a book that teaches you C++ and it does it better than any other introductory C++ book out there. So if your looking for a book to learn C++ at a fast pace, this book is "the" way to learn it.