Effective C++" stands as an indispensable resource for seasoned C++ professionals, endorsed by industry experts like Steve Schirripa from Google and Gerhard Kreuzer from Siemens AG. Scott Meyers' pragmatic approach outlines essential rules of thumb for producing clear, correct, and efficient code. The third edition, reflecting the evolution of C++ over the years, introduces new content on resource management and template usage, aligning with contemporary design considerations. With 55 guidelines, backed by concrete examples, the book provides expert insights into designing effective classes, functions, templates, and inheritance hierarchies. It also explores the applications of the new "TR1" standard library functionality, offering valuable comparisons with existing components. In addition, "Effective C++" facilitates the assimilation of "the C++ way" by highlighting differences between C++ and other languages like Java, C#, and C.
Andrew Oliver on Amazon.com wrote:So... I read alot 1 or 2 star reviews for this book and many mention that Meyers either doesn't go into enough detail or he explains things that are rather obvious to most C++ programmers.
I'll tell you a bit of my background and why this book is a goldmine for someone like me:
I have a degree in electrical engineering. I did some C++ programming in college but never got to the OOP stuff when I was in school. As I changed jobs over the years eventually I landed in a position where I needed to manage an existing C++ system. I learned the basics of OOP just by doing some reading online and picked it up over the years as most engineers are able to do. I got to the point where I was very familiar with the system and for the most part I could do pretty much everything I needed do for my job.
But my only formal training on C++ barely even scratched the surface of its capabilities, so I thought I should read a book on some "good practices" in C++.
This book was exactly what I was looking for. Coming in at under 300 pages, and with Meyers listing 55 specific items, this only leaves approximately 5 pages per item. This of course means that this book is not the definitive C++ reference guide. That said, this is not a book for beginners. I would say that you should be practicing OOP within C++ for at least a year before reading this book. (But it probably also isn't a book for experts either, because experts probably already know mostly everything in this book.)
Erik Nilson on Goodreads.com wrote:In learning programming, different textbooks suit different purposes ...
Let's divide up the task of becoming a C++ software engineer specialising in programming challenging systems ...
(1) learning the essentials of programming;
(2) learning the essentials of low level programming with its bit fiddling logical operators and implementation issues;
(3) learning C++ syntax;
(4) learning C++ development tools;
(5) picking up knowledge of the situational logic of software engineering;
(6) picking up knowledge of object oriented and procedural and other approaches to programming solutions to given problems and picking up the common sense to know the best approach to a given problem;
(7) learning C++ libraries;
(8) learning STL the standard template library;
(9) picking up knowledge so that one can develop an appropriate C++ style to the task at hand, whatever the task at hand may be ... knowing that educational miniprojects and real medium sized to large systems have different needs in this respect.
يوسف بوحايك on Goodreads.com wrote:Easy to follow book. Very CLEAR explanations without a bunch of fluff. Great answers to the whys that you ask when designing software.
My second reading to Scott Meyers, and this one was a confirmation to the elegant style of this great writer.
I'm not full aware of all what exists as books for C++ programming, though, I'm pretty sure that Scott's books are from the best out there, simply because it's not easy at all to have such a clear, simple and coherent understanding of the basic philosophy on which this complex language is built, prior to be able to write such a wonderful text.
Can't wait to read his other two books (More effective and Effective STL), thank you Scott for all of these marvels.
5 stars without even thinking, absolutely recommended.