On Thursday 10 April 2003 04:13 pm, Jerry Feldman wrote:
On Thu, 10 Apr 2003 15:44:08 -0400
"Steven T. Hatton"
wrote: I was thinking about getting the electronic version of the C++ ANSI standard for $18. I'm really not sure what that document might be like. From what I can gather it is some 700+ pages long. That is much larger than I expected it to be. Has anybody on this list read this document, or at least looked it over carefully?
Standards documents are not for consumtion by mere users of code. They are designed for people who write and maintain the compilers. In your case, I think you need a good C++ book. The C++ Primer (http://www.aw.com/catalog/academic/product/1,4096,0201824701,00.html) or C++, How to Program (http://www.prenhall.com/deitel/) are two decent books. My copy of the C++ draft standard is a bit out of date. In other words, IMHO, it is a waste of money. I would fork out the money myself if I were to go back into compiler work. As I mentioned previously, when I had to work in a pure C++ environment I found the C++ Primer the best resourse. I could easily look up what I needed to know since was was a bit rusty.
I picked up Stroustrup's 'phone book'. I looked over the other candidates you mentioned. I know it's not a very objective way of selecting a book, but when I saw "The road goes ever on and on" -- Bilbo Baggins, at the head of the preface, I couldn't bring myself to consider not getting Bjarne's book. I also picked up an REA /Essentials/ book http://www.rea.com/display_prod.cfm?p=0878917489&g=0878916849 It's actually not all that bad. The reason I was considering the standard document was that the REA book is clearly not rigorously adhering to the standard. I'm sure Stroustrup is more faithful to the standard. I was just thinking it might be helpful to have the actual letter of the standard on hand. I'll be the first to admit standards documents can be inaccessible to most mortals. I've read some that are quite lucid, and some (ECMA Script comes to mind) that are virtually intractible. I still find the size of the C++ document surprising. What the heck is in it? The grammar takes all of 22 pages. I find that extremely large. But to increase that by 35 times, is quite an accomplishment. STH