C++ Distilled: A Concise ANSI/ISO Reference and Style Guide

Pohl has managed to strike a very nice balance between reference books that are too concise (and thus leave you feeling confused unless you already know a feature very well) and too verbose (and thus make it difficult to do a "quick lookup" on something). I wish there were more reference books out there that struck such a balance. The book is short enough (~200 pages with good amounts of white space) that you can read through it in a few days for a quick review if you've been away from C++ for a while (particularly if you've been away since before all the new C++ features were added!). Note that even though it came out in late '96, it does seem to have all of the new C++ features in it -- including STL (although the STL chapter is pretty cursory) and all of the other new language features (namespaces, new casting methods, etc). Would also highly recommend Meyer's _Effective C++_ for those just getting into C++ or returning to it after a long absense. Also, something like Josuttis' _The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference_ for a more in depth look at STL and the string class.

Just like one of the reviewers below, I defected from C++ to Java a long time ago - before the advent of namespaces, STL, etc. Recently I had to do some C++ work and this book was all I needed. It is literally the only C++ book I own. The author's mastery of language (both C++ and English) allows him to cover every important C++ topic without wasting any space. His writing is brief and to the point. This book helped me learn STL, re-learn C++'s terrifying I/O, and re-learn operator overloading. It's a refresher course and a reference. It's tiny, and great.

+AH4-I was asked to review this book, and I ended up buying a copy for myself. If you already know some C+-+-, this is a prefect book to have. It is so concise, that often single sentences talk volumes! Therefore if anything seems vague, it's a good hint to look into it further.One nice feature for the intermediate programmers is "Dr. P's Prescription". These are suggestion (or often rules) at the end of each section. In a way, they add to the applicability of the book without any+AH4-+AH4- material getting lost in excess verbiage -- much like Scott Meyer's Effective C+-+-.+AH4-

Concise! At the same time Phol has taken care not to miss out details. It covers all the latest features of C++. He is able to present some of the abstract and difficult concepts in a short and easy to understand manner. This book was of real help to me.

C++ Distilled by Ira Pohl is a marvelous piece of work. It successfully transforms the ANSI/ISO draft standard into something useful and usable. Dr. Pohl has stripped from the draft standard the verbiage useful only to the compiler writer and has managed to present what's left as a tight, annotated reference that also promotes good style. I am requiring it of all my C++ students, and highly recommend it to all C++ programmers.