Learning to program computers is not just about learning one language and using that language all the time. Instead, learning many languages and mastering a few is probably a faster path to proficiency. The C++ Programming Language, written by Bjarne Stroustrup, is a 1020-page description of C++ and object-oriented programming.
This page reviews the book The C++ Programming Language by Bjarne Stroustrup.
What does this book cover? It provides an overview of object-oriented design concepts. It then covers the basic types in the C++ language. It further explores more derived, complex types available in that language. A collection of essays dives into more general design and development issues.
I honestly have no idea how long it would take to read this entire 1020-page book. That's because I haven't actually read the whole thing. However, I have read many parts of the book, and the writing style is clear but formal. It is not hard to read. It does have long paragraphs in places, which can be painful to get through.
I benefited from Stroustrup's book in several ways. For one, C++ covers many of the same bases that C# covers. So an understanding of C++ definitely helps me understand C# and .NET languages better. It also helped me realize how nice some of the features are in C# that are not present in C++ (such as garbage collection). It can help you implement types in C# that are shown in C++.
The book has some material that is hard to find elsewhere, particularly stuff that covers the very basics of the language in great detail. For example, I used this book to help describe the "string" type in the C# language.
String TypeI definitely recommend the book—at least the parts that I actually read. Because C++ is used in many of the most important software programs in the world, it is something you should at least read about. And, as I mentioned, it will help with your general knowledge and ability to use newer languages like C#.
Worth the money? I think the book is worth the money, even in hard cover. Some of these computer language programming textbooks will end up earning you a lot more than the money you pay to buy them. The hard part is putting the time and energy in to read them.
I looked at The C++ Programming Language by Bjarne Stroustrup, third edition. This is a book that is about not just C++, but the general concepts that underlie C++ and all object-oriented languages such as C# and Java. It can help improve your knowledge in languages like C# in a way that no book (or website) that is about C# ever could.
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