Past readers will find that the new edition has changed a great deal and grown considerably to encompass new language features, particularly run-time type identification, namespaces, and the standard library. At the same time, readers will recognize the lucid style and sensible advice that made previous editions so readable and enjoyable. Probably the biggest change is a substantial new section, well over 200 pages in length, covering the contents and design of the C++ standard library, the most important new feature of the C++ specification. The author has also added a substantial number of new exercises while keeping many from previous editions that have retained their value.

While The C++ programming Language is not a C++ tutorial, strictly speaking, anyone learning the language, especially those coming from C, will greatly benefit from the clear presentation of all its elements. It is impossible to overstate the importance of this book for anyone who is serious about using C++. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Dr. Dobb's Journal
Read the entire Review, including a chapter-by-chapter analysis of this book.

Bjarne Stroustrup's The C++ programming Language, Third Edition (Addison-Wesley, 1997) has been available for several months. This work, by the creator of C++, is the definitive treatment of the subject and has been since its first edition in 1987. I must confess that I did not care for the first edition. I had expected a tutorial approach as elegant as the classic K&R white book. But then, K&R was about C, a programming language that supported a familiar programming model. The C++ programming model was new to most of us ten years ago, and Stroustrup's first edition was daunting, to say the least. Looking at it now, I find it far less so and much easier to read.

Comparing the first and third editions of The C++ programming Language provides insight into how the C++ language has grown and changed in the past decade. The third edition has almost three times the number of pages and a slightly different organization. Whereas the first edition included a 67-page language reference manual at the end, the third edition includes only a language grammar section to represent formal language definition. This is appropriate. The ANSI/ISO Standard document, which is now the formal language and library definition, is itself about 750 pages long. Stroustrup plans to publish The Annotated C++ Language Standard (coauthored by Andrew Koenig, the ANSI C++ committee's Project Editor) sometime this year.

The third edition takes a tutorial approach with many of Stroustrup's personal programming philosophies. The author's explanations of how he uses language features provide examples for learning the behavior of those features. He also explains code idioms that some programmers routinely use but that he finds inappropriate.

As much as possible, the third edition reflects Standard C++. When small language features are found to be missing, particularly new ones, Stroustrup pledges to add them to a future printing

This book is an essential addition to a C++ programmer's library. It is not for dummies, and it wouldn't be my first choice for an entry-level, self-help tutorial on C++ for beginning programmers. It is, however, an excellent textbook for programmers who are self-motivated and students who study under the watchful care of a skilled instructor. As an experienced C++ programmer, I find the book useful as a reference to language usage and behavior. The author invented the language and then stayed close to the standardization and innovation process for the duration, always maintaining a careful vigilance over the evolution of his brainchild. Consequently, this book serves, for those who do not care to pore over the ANSI/ISO document (or the promised annotated version), as the authority on the Standard C++ language, how it works, and how you should use it. -- Al Stevens, Dr. Dobb's Journal --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Join the leagues of thousands of programmers and learn C++ from some of the best. The fifth edition of the best seller Sams Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days, written by Jesse Liberty, a well-known C++ and C# programming manual author and Bradley L. Jones, manager for a number of high profiler developer websites, has been updated to the new ANSI/ISO C++ Standard. This is an excellent hands-on guide for the beginning programmer. Packed with examples of syntax and detailed analysis of code, fundamentals such as managing I/O, loops, arrays and creating C++ applications are all covered in the 21 easy-to-follow lessons. You will also be given access to a website that will provide you will all the source code examples developed in the book as a practice tool. C++ is the preferred language for millions of developers-make Sams Teach Yourself the preferred way to learn it!

Bradley L. Jones is the site manager for a number of high-profile developer sites—including CodeGuru.com, Developer.com and VBForums.com. He is an executive editor of Jupitermedia's EarthWeb channel, which is a part of Internet.com. He is also an internationally best-selling author who wrote the original 21 Days book: Sams Teach Yourself C in 21 Days.

Jesse Liberty is the president of Liberty Associates, Inc. www.libertyassociates.com where he provides training and custom programming. Jesse is the author of numerous books on C++, C#, Web development and object-oriented analysis and design. He was a Distinguished software Engineer for AT&T and Vice President of Citibank's Development Division.

The authors still introduce the basics of C++, including data types and pointers, but quickly move on to stress how to get the most out of the built-in features of ISO-standard C++. Throughout this book built-in support for the C++ Standard Library, such as container classes like vectors and maps, and other standard features, such as the string class, are integrated into a tried-and- proven basic-language tutorial.

The major new features of C++ (templates, name spaces, and run-time type identification) all get their due. The result is an authoritative guide to basic and advanced C++ in a clear and readable style, with plenty of short, practical examples throughout the text. The book includes exercises--some quite challenging--for every section: a perfect choice both for self-study and the classroom. --Richard Dragan --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Dr. Dobb's Electronic Review of Computer Books
Read the full Review for this book.

During the last fifteen years, the power factor seems to have outperformed the complexity factor, marking the track for massive adoption of C++ in all sorts of serious application realms. Hundreds of books have been published covering every single aspect of the language, including its syntactic and semantic aspects, its effective adoption in small- and large-scale projects, and its most resounding features as well as its most worrying pitfalls. --Davide Marcato, Dr. Dobb's Electronic Review of Computer Books --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

STL is a hugely powerful feature of today's C++, but one with a well-earned reputation for complexity. The book is organized into 50 tips that explore different areas of the STL. Besides providing a list of dos and don'ts, Meyers presents a lot of background on what works and what doesn't with STL. Each tip is demonstrated with in-depth coding samples, many of which make use of two-color printing to highlight the most important lines of code. (Advanced developers will enjoy Meyers's in-depth explanations, while those who are in a hurry can skip ahead to the recommended tip itself.)

A good part of this book involves using containers, like vectors and maps, which are built into STL. (Besides the standard built-in containers, the author also highlights recent additions to STL like B-trees, which are available as extensions from other vendors.) You'll learn the best ways to allocate, add, change, and delete items inside containers, including associative containers like maps. You'll also learn to avoid common pitfalls, which can result in writing code that is slow or just plain wrong.

Other areas covered in Effective STL cover getting the most out of the 100-plus STL algorithms that are bundled with this library. Meyers shows you how to choose the correct algorithm for sorting and other functions. (Even advanced developers will learn something here.) Sections on using function objects (called functors) round out the text. Meyers shows you when these classes make sense and the best ways to implement them. Besides specific tips, you'll get plenty of general programming advice. A useful appendix shows the limitations of STL as implemented in microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 and how to overcome them.

Overall, Effective STL is a really invaluable source of programming expertise on an essential aspect of today's C++ for anyone who is using--or planning to use--STL in real production code. It is quite simply a must-have. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

• Introduction to advanced Standard Template Library (STL) programming techniques
• 50 tips and best practices for STL illustrated with sample tutorial code
• Choosing containers
• Efficient copying of elements inside containers
• Removing, erasing, and cleaning up items from containers
• Using custom allocators with STL containers
• Thread safety with STL
• Tips for programming with the STL vector and string classes (including reserving memory and calling legacy C/C++ code)
• Tips for associative containers (including comparing items, sorted vectors, and non-standard enhancements to STL)
• Tips for selecting and using STL iterator classes
• STL algorithms (including sorting, removing, and comparing items)
• Using functors with STL
• General tips for STL programming (including advice for choosing algorithms and understanding compiler diagnostic messages)
• String locales
• Overcoming STL imitations in microsoft Visual C++ 6.0

From the author of the indispensable Effective C++, here are 35 new ways to improve your programs and designs. Drawing on years of experience, Meyers explains how to write software that is more effective: more efficient, more robust, more consistent, more portable, and more reusable. In short, how to write C++ software that's just plain better.

More Effective C++ includes:

Proven methods for improving program efficiency, including incisive examinations of the time/space costs of C++ language features

Comprehensive descriptions of advanced techniques used by C++ experts, including placement new, virtual constructors, smart pointers, reference counting, proxy classes, and double-dispatching

Examples of the profound impact of exception handling on the structure and behavior of C++ classes and functions

Practical treatments of new language features, including bool, mutable, explicit, namespaces, member templates, the Standard Template Library, and more. If your compilers don't yet support these features, Meyers shows you how to get the job done without them.

More Effective C++ is filled with pragmatic, down-to-earth advice you'll use every day. Like Effective C++ before it, More Effective C++ is essential reading for anyone working with C++.

Book Info
Includes proven methods for improving program efficiency, including incisive examinations of the time/space costs of C++ language features. Provides 35 new ways to improve your programs and designs. Paper. DLC: C++ (Computer program language)

You'll find clear and concise explanations of basic SAS concepts (such as DATA and PROC steps), inputting data, modifying and combining data sets, summarizing and presenting data, basic statistical procedures, and debugging SAS programs.

Each topic is presented in a self-contained two-page layout complete with examples and graphics. This format enables new users to get up and running quickly, while the examples allow you to type in the program and see it work!

About The Author
Lora D. Delwiche brings over 20 years of expertise in working with SAS software to this edition. Lora enjoys teaching people about SAS software and likes solving challenging problems using SAS. Her experience in working with users from many different disc iplines prompted her to write a book proving that SAS is "not hard to learn."

Susan J. Slaughter discovered SAS software in graduate school, over 20 years ago. Since then she has used SAS in a variety of business and academic settings. She now works as a consultant through her company, Avocet Solutions. Her experience managing larg e databases, teaching SAS software classes, and writing about SAS inspired her to write a book that is both informative and fun to read.

At the heart of The Innovator's Dilemma is how a successful company with established products keeps from being pushed aside by newer, cheaper products that will, over time, get better and become a serious threat. Christensen writes that even the best-managed companies, in spite of their attention to customers and continual investment in new technology, are susceptible to failure no matter what the industry, be it hard drives or consumer retailing. Succinct and clearly written, The Innovator's Dilemma is an important book that belongs on every manager's bookshelf. Highly recommended. --Harry C. Edwards --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From AudioFile
When new technologies become available, how do established companies take advantage of these innovations without disrupting existing relationships with customers and stockholders? The managerial formula that solves this dilemma is far from simple, but this abridgment of the author's 1997 book will be easily understood by anyone interested in technological revolutions. The clarity of these broad-brush ideas is just plain fascinating. The reader's gravity and dramatic precision will be distracting for many people, but only for the first few minutes. After that, the big ideas in this program take over and captivate the listener's attention. T.W. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.