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C++ The Core Language
C++ is an object-oriented enhancement of the C programming
language and is becoming the language of choice for serious
software development.
C++ has crossed the Single Book Complexity Barrier. The
individual features are not all that complex, but when put
together in a program they interact in highly non-intuitive
ways.
Many books discuss each of the features separately,
giving readers the illusion that they understand the
language. But when they try to program, they're in for a
painful surprise (even people who already know C).
C++: The Core Language is for C programmers transitioning to
C++. It's designed to get readers up to speed quickly by
covering an essential subset of the language.
The subset consists of features without which it's just not
C++, and a handful of others that make it a reasonably
useful language. You can actually use this subset (using
any compiler) to get familiar with the basics of the
language.
Once you really understand that much, it's time to do some
programming and learn more from other books. After reading
this book, you'll be far better equipped to get something
useful out of a reference manual, a graphical user interface
programming book, and maybe a book on the specific libraries
you'll be using. (Take a look at our companion book,
Practical C++ Programming.)
C++: The Core Language includes sidebars that give overviews
of all the advanced features not covered, so that readers
know they exist and how they fit in. It covers features
common to all C++ compilers, including those on UNIX,
Windows NT, Windows, DOS, and Macintosh.
Comparison: C++: The Core Language vs.
Practical C++ Programming
O'Reilly's policy is not to publish two books on the same
topic for the same audience. We'd rather spend twice the
time on making one book the industry's best. So why do we
have two C++ tutorials? Which one should you get?
The answer is they're very different. Steve Oualline,
author of the successful book Practical C Programming, came
to us with the idea of doing a C++ edition. Thus was born
Practical C++ Programming. It's a comprehensive tutorial
to C++, starting from the ground up. It also covers the
programming process, style, and other important real-world
issues. By providing exercises and problems with answers,
the book helps you make sure you understand before you move
on.
While that book was under development, we received the
proposal for
C++: The Core Language. Its innovative approach is to cover
only a subset of the language -- the part that's most
important to learn first -- and to assume readers already
know C. The idea is that C++ is just too complicated to
learn all at once. So, you learn the basics solidly from
this short book, which prepares you to understand some of
the 200+ other C++ books and to start programming.
These two books are based on different philosophies and are
for different audiences. But there is one way in which
they work together. If you are a C programmer, we recommend
you start with C++: The Core Language, then read about
advanced topics and real-world problems in Practical C++
Programming.
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