Accelerated C++ book outdated?

[Markus Dreyer]

I suggested our Librarian for the University Library to buy

Accelerated C++. Practical Programming by Example.
by Andrew Koenig and Barbara E. Moo
http://www.acceleratedcpp.com/

but she replied saying it might be outdated, since it was published in
2000, and therefore not worth buying. I don't have the book, I just saw a
lot of recommendations for it on the web. Do you think it's outdated? Is a
new version planned? What is the best current book to learn C++ quickly
given you already have programming experience in another prog. language?

 

[jeffc]

I suggested our Librarian for the University Library to buy

Accelerated C++. Practical Programming by Example.
by Andrew Koenig and Barbara E. Moo
http://www.acceleratedcpp.com/

but she replied saying it might be outdated, since it was published in
2000, and therefore not worth buying.

Now that seems to me to be a pretty clueless thing to say. I'll leave it to
the experts whether the book needs any updating due to very recent changes
in the language, however.

 

[David Rasmussen]

I suggested our Librarian for the University Library to buy

Accelerated C++. Practical Programming by Example.
by Andrew Koenig and Barbara E. Moo
http://www.acceleratedcpp.com/

but she replied saying it might be outdated, since it was published in
2000, and therefore not worth buying. I don't have the book, I just saw
a lot of recommendations for it on the web. Do you think it's outdated?
Is a new version planned? What is the best current book to learn C++
quickly given you already have programming experience in another prog.
language?

She doesn't know what she's talking about.
Accelerated C++ is not outdated. It is the best
book of it's kind. C++ was standardized in 1998
and haven't changed since. So the book is as up to
date as can be. And it is brilliant. Buy it!

/David

 

[Bryan Bullard]

perhaps you should consulting your faculty.

 

[E. Robert Tisdale]

I suggested our Librarian for the University Library to buy

Accelerated C++. Practical Programming by Example.
by Andrew Koenig and Barbara E. Moo


but she replied saying that it might be outdated
since it was published in 2000, and therefore not worth buying.

That's probably correct.

I don't have the book.
I just saw a lot of recommendations for it on the web.
Do you think that it's outdated? Is a new version planned?

Andrew may want to answer this.

What is the best current book to learn C++ quickly given that
you already have programming experience
in another programming language?

"The C++ Programming Language: Third Edition" by Bjarne Stroustrup.

 

[Mike Smith]

I suggested our Librarian for the University Library to buy

Accelerated C++. Practical Programming by Example.
by Andrew Koenig and Barbara E. Moo
http://www.acceleratedcpp.com/

but she replied saying it might be outdated, since it was published in
2000, and therefore not worth buying.

Your librarian is a C++ expert? Wow. Is she cute? ;-)

 

[Jonathan Turkanis]

She doesn't know what she's talking about.
Accelerated C++ is not outdated. It is the best
book of it's kind. C++ was standardized in 1998
and haven't changed since. So the book is as up to
date as can be. And it is brilliant. Buy it!

I agree with you entierly that the librarian is wrong; Bying a book on
C++ from 2000 isn't like buying a Visual Studio reference from 2000.
However, C++ has changed (a bit) since 1998.

Jonathan

 

[Jonathan Turkanis]

Markus Dreyer wrote:

[The is for the benefit of the OP. Robert, there's no need to respond]

"The C++ Programming Language: Third Edition" by Bjarne Stroustrup.

The third edition came out in 1997, before the standard was finalized.
There are a number of places where statements in the third edition do
not agree with the standard (addressed throroughly on Bjarne's
website.)

The most recent edition, I believe, is from 2000.

All three are excellent. The idea that Accelerated C++ is outdated is
ridiculous.

 

[E. Robert Tisdale]

The third edition came out in 1997, before the standard was finalized.
There are a number of places where statements in the third edition do
not agree with the standard (addressed thoroughly on Bjarne's
website.)

The most recent edition, I believe, is from 2000.

All three are excellent.
The idea that Accelerated C++ is outdated is ridiculous.

In view of the fact that a new ANSI/ISO C++ standard has been drafted,
*all* of these texts are "outdated".

 

[Jonathan Turkanis]

Jonathan Turkanis wrote:

In view of the fact that a new ANSI/ISO C++ standard has been drafted,
*all* of these texts are "outdated".

See my original post.

 

[Howard Hinnant]

I suggested our Librarian for the University Library to buy

Accelerated C++. Practical Programming by Example.
by Andrew Koenig and Barbara E. Moo
http://www.acceleratedcpp.com/

but she replied saying it might be outdated, since it was published in
2000, and therefore not worth buying. I don't have the book, I just saw a
lot of recommendations for it on the web. Do you think it's outdated? Is a
new version planned? What is the best current book to learn C++ quickly
given you already have programming experience in another prog. language?

Accelerated C++ is the best beginner's C++ book on the market today.
Highly recommended. Own a copy of it myself. If I wanted to teach a
basic C++ course today, I would definitely use this book as the course
text.

Howard Hinnant
Metrowerks

Member of C++ standards committee.
painfully aware of every little change since 2000 and responsible for a
few of them myself.

 

[Bjarne Stroustrup]

That's probably correct.

It is not. AC++ is still far more up-to-date than most C++ books. it
is an excellent book that is not likely to be outdated any year soon.
In particular, it describes ISO Standard C++, which does not change
often, rather than some proprietary system.

 

[E. Robert Tisdale]

It is not. AC++ is still far more up-to-date than most C++ books.
It is an excellent book
that is not likely to be outdated any year soon.
In particular, it describes ISO Standard C++, which does not change
which does not change often rather than some proprietary system.

Exactly how often must the ISO C++ Standard change
before the current textbooks are "outdated"?

Should I got out and buy a new copy of
"The C++ Programming Language: Third Edition"
to replace the worn and dogeared copy that I am using now?
Or should I wait for the "Fourth Edition"?

I'm sure that Markus Dreyer's University Librarian
would appreciate a little guidance here.
She doesn't want to buy an expensive new textbook
that may sit neglected on her shelf after Andrew and Barbara
publish their latest, more up-to-date edition.
Can you tell her whether or not she should expect new editions
of "The C++ Programming Language" or "Accelerated C++"?

 

[David Rasmussen]

I agree with you entierly that the librarian is wrong; Bying a book on
C++ from 2000 isn't like buying a Visual Studio reference from 2000.
However, C++ has changed (a bit) since 1998.

What are the changes?

/David

 

[David Rasmussen]

That's probably correct.

Why??


"The C++ Programming Language: Third Edition" by Bjarne Stroustrup.

This is lousy advice. TC++PL isn't the best book to "learn C++ quickly".
I'd still say AC++.

/David

 

[David Rasmussen]

In view of the fact that a new ANSI/ISO C++ standard has been drafted,
*all* of these texts are "outdated".

Where can I read about this? What new things are included?

/David

 

[David Rasmussen]

Where can I read about this? What new things are included?

And more importantly: Does any of these changes affect the truthness of
the stuff in AC++?

/David

 

[Bjarne Stroustrup]

Bjarne Stroustrup wrote:

Exactly how often must the ISO C++ Standard change
before the current textbooks are "outdated"?

"about every decade" Actually, the issue is a bit more subtle.
Many books are up-to-date in the sense that they don't use
pre-standard facilities. To me, the bigger issue is whether they
actually take advantage of the developments in standard features,
standard library, and programming techniques over the last decade or
so when they use and teach Standard C++. Many books don't, and present
a 1990-vintage view of C++, or even a 1987-vintage (no templates, no
exceptions, no multiple inheritance) view.

Should I got out and buy a new copy of
"The C++ Programming Language: Third Edition"
to replace the worn and dogeared copy that I am using now?
Or should I wait for the "Fourth Edition"?

Obviously, I won't discourage a replacement but the contents
wouldn't be the reason. There is no need for a 4th edition for another
while yet.

I'm sure that Markus Dreyer's University Librarian
would appreciate a little guidance here.
She doesn't want to buy an expensive new textbook
that may sit neglected on her shelf after Andrew and Barbara
publish their latest, more up-to-date edition.
Can you tell her whether or not she should expect new editions
of "The C++ Programming Language" or "Accelerated C++"?

Don't expect replacements for another three or 4 years. These two
books are still describing Standard C++ as defined and shipped, and
still describe styles of use that are in advance of much current
practice.

That's fact, what's opinion is that those two books are among the very
best available for their purposes.

-- Bjarne Stroustrup; http://www.research.att.com/~bs

 

[Peter Koch Larsen]

This is lousy advice. TC++PL isn't the best book to "learn C++ quickly".
I'd still say AC++.

/David

I would not call that advice lousy. In fact, the book that taught me C++ was
the second edition of that book - and the third edition is one of the best
C++ books, I've read ever. I find it gives an excellent introduction to C++,
including historical background and paradigms.
Of course, Koenigs book also rates to be first class (based on review and
the extracts, I've read).

/Peter

 

[Andrew Koenig]

I suggested our Librarian for the University Library to buy

Accelerated C++. Practical Programming by Example.
by Andrew Koenig and Barbara E. Moo
http://www.acceleratedcpp.com/

but she replied saying it might be outdated, since it was published in
2000, and therefore not worth buying.

It isn't out of date.

In fact, there are some statements (those having to do with
value-initialization) in the book that were not quite true of the C++1998
standard, but are correct for the C++2003 standard. Barbara and I made a
guess that the standard was going to be revised and wrote those parts of the
book so that they referred to the revision. We also took pains to be sure
that all of the examples in the book would work with both the C++1998 and
C++2003 standards.