The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference

Mr. Josuttis offers in this book an amazingly comprehensive guide to the often bewildering C++ standard library. I originally purchased this book looking for more STL information, and I was certainly not disappointed in that respect. STL descriptions account for nearly half of the book volume. However, as non-STL questions arose, I found myself digging into this book time and time again (questions about auto_ptr, string class, allocators, etc).If you're a C++ programmer and do not already own a current (circa 1999 or later) library reference, do yourself and your code a favor and grab a copy of this book. C++ is an extremely scalable language. It's easy to use only knowing a small subset of the language and library features. Having a reference such as this one ensures that you'll be less likely to accidentally duplicate work that has already been done for you in the standard library.As far as book organization goes, I'd say that the book does lean more towards "reference" rather than "tutorial", but I never believe a book that claims to be both anyhow. Anyone interested in a pure tutorial should buy a book specifically written with that in mind. For more experienced programmers not needing quite as much hand holding, however, the book does work as advertised.Overall, I can't really recommend this book more enthusiastically.

The book is subtitled "a tutorial and reference". Let it be said that it is more of a reference. There are several concise examples that explain how to use the features, but the writing style is fairly terse. This book is an excellent supplement to books such as Bjarne Stroustrup's "The C++ Programming Language". The discussion about how to use the standard library is more detailed than other books. The reason why I am giving this book five stars is because it is the best reference on the standard library that I have found anywhere. The examples are both minimal and complete -- just enough code to explain how the features should be used. I wouldn't say that this is a book you should have on your shelf -- it belongs on your desk.

If you are learning C++ or an experienced programmer, this book is for you.The book takes off where a lot of introductory texts leave off, and explains what is going on with library function calls etcetera.Not only does the book explain the calls, it also gives a history on C++ and describes the development of the library and language, so AT LAST you understand WHY certain things are implemented the way they are.Of particular note is the excellent (and understandable)coverage of STL and templates which will finally allow the reader to produce better more flexible code, utilising techniques that are properly explained for a change!This is not just a book it is hardcovered empowerment, the subtitle A tutorial and reference describes it well!

On my second reading, I'm still finding more gems in this book. Up to now, it was almost impossible to find any comprehensive material on the standard library. All one could find was the odd article about some aspect of the library, or rather specialized books about STL. Nicolai has fixed that particular problem once and for all.The book reminds of Richard Stevens's famous UNIX books. Incredibly complete, incredibly detailed, incredibly accurate, and a great tutorial and reference at the same time. And, best of all, it's just as accessible to someone who is not a real expert as it is for someone who's been using C++ for years.This is one of the *very* few books that get a spot on my top shelf. A classic that I will come back to again and again.

My colleagues and I are extremely impressed with both the organization and thoroughness of "The C++ Standard Library". Prior to the purchase of this book, we had consulted 3 other STL books for help in writing our software. All 3 of the other books constantly frustrated us by making it almost impossible to locate information quickly and by omitting key facts. We were, therefore, acutely aware of the inadequacies of the available texts and were, as a result, all the more appreciative of this book and excited to find it. Features I particularly like include: (1) The index is possibly the most inclusive and well organized I have seen anywhere. Under the listing for each container type, for instance, is an indented listing of all associated algorithms, etc and the respective page numbers. (2) For each container type the text includes a listing of any required headers, a concise definition of the stl template/class with all associated constructors and destructors (a very useful feature), and extensive example code. (3) The example code fragments are well documented and point out any anomolies which will result in potential run time errors; saddly, other texts we consulted failed to warn us of these potential run-time errors, one of which cost us a few hours of testing/debugging time. The above list of "likes" is by no means all-inclusive. In short, if I were planning to buy only 1 STL reference, it would be "The C++ Standard Library" by Nicolai Josuttis.