Product Description

The inventor of C++ presents the definitive insider's guide to the design and development of the C++ programming language. Without ommitting critical details or getting bogged down in technicalities, Stroustrup presents his unique insights into the decisions that shaped C++. Every C++ programmer will benefit from Stroustrup's explanations of the 'why's' behind C++ from the earliest features, such as the original class concept, to the latest extensions, such as new casts and explicit template instantiation. Some C++ design decisions have been universally praised, while others remain controversial, and debated vigorously; still other features have been rejected based on experimentation. In this book, Stroustrup dissects many of these decisions to present a case study in "real object- oriented language development" for the working programmer. In doing so, he presents his views on programming and design in a concrete and useful way that makes this book a must-buy for every C++ programmer. Features*Written by the inventor of C++ Stroustrup *Provides insights into the design decisions which shaped C++. *Gives technical summaries of C++.* Discusses the latest language features: templates, exceptions, run-time type information, and namespaces. *Presents Stroustrup's unique programming and design views. 0201543303B04062001

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #92631 in Books
• Published on: 1994-04-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

From the Back Cover

The inventor of C++ presents the definitive insider's guide to the design and development of the C++ programming language. Without ommitting critical details or getting bogged down in technicalities, Stroustrup presents his unique insights into the decisions that shaped C++. Every C++ programmer will benefit from Stroustrup's explanations of the 'why's' behind C++ from the earliest features, such as the original class concept, to the latest extensions, such as new casts and explicit template instantiation.

Some C++ design decisions have been universally praised, while others remain controversial, and debated vigorously; still other features have been rejected based on experimentation. In this book, Stroustrup dissects many of these decisions to present a case study in "real object- oriented language development" for the working programmer. In doing so, he presents his views on programming and design in a concrete and useful way that makes this book a must-buy for every C++ programmer.

• Written by the inventor of C++ Stroustrup
• Provides insights into the design decisions which shaped C++.
• Gives technical summaries of C++.
• Discusses the latest language features: templates, exceptions, run-time type information, and namespaces.
• Presents Stroustrup's unique programming and design views.

About the Author

Bjarne Stroustrup is the designer and original implementer of C++, the author of The C++ Programming Language, The Annotated C++ Reference Manual, and The Design and Evolution of C++, and the consulting editor of Addison-Wesley's C++ In-Depth Series. Having previously worked at Bell Labs and AT&T Labs-Research, he currently is the College of Engineering Chair in Computer Science Professor at Texas A&M University. The recipient of numerous honors, including the Dr. Dobb's Excellence in Programming Award (2008), Dr. Stroustrup is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, an AT&T Fellow, an AT&T Bell Laboratories Fellow, an IEEE Fellow, and an ACM Fellow. His research interests include distributed systems, simulation, design, programming techniques, software development tools, and programming languages, and he remains actively involved in the ANSI/ISO standardization of C++. Dr. Stroustrup holds an advanced degree from the University of Aarhus in his native Denmark and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Cambridge University, England.

Customer Reviews

A lot like a novel you just can't put down.
I liked this book a lot. It was very hard to put down. In addition to learning some of the history of the language, I felt I actually learned a lot of C++, and a lot about why the features are the way they are. We all know that many criticisms are leveled at C++. I know that most of them are unfounded, but it's rather nice to have a good answer for the next time someone mentions SmallTalk to me or complains about multiple inheritance.

The answer to most of the "why?" questions about C++
If you want to know why C++ includes the features it does, in the way it does, and why it doesn't include features found in other languages, this is the book to read.

Not essential, but very interesting
In this book, C++ creator Bjarne Stroustrup talks us through the genesis of C++, detailing his design philosophies, the history of the language's development, and the various trade offs that make up C++.

If you're curious about why C++ is how it is, then this is a fine read. Stroustrup writes well and without hyperbole. Along the way, you'll pick up plenty of interesting trivia. Did you know, for instance, that the earliest versions of what became C++ had AOP-style before and after methods, but no-one used them, so Stroustrup removed them? Or that language level support for delegation was once in the offing? You'll also find out why keyword arguments for functions were rejected. Additionally, there's a fascinating (albeit too brief) section on how the behaviour of exceptions came to be specified, with resumable semantics rejected for the termination model we have now.

Due to the year of publication, events encompassing the adoption of the STL is missing. On one hand, that's a bit of a pity. On the other, it keeps the length of this book to a manageable length.

From the title, you probably already know if you want to read this book. Will it reveal amazing new techniques to speed up your C++ programs? No. But if you have any interest at all in language design, this is really accessible and there is no type theory or lambda calculus to wrestle with here. Even a committed C++-hater might come away with a new appreciation for the language, warts and all. Well, maybe not, but they might retire a few a few of their arguments against it.