On Saturday 05 April 2003 12:23 am, Derek Fountain wrote:
I am looking for a self-contained presentation of the language that introduces the components of the language in a mathematical spirit.
Appendix A of the Stroustrup book contains a complete grammar of the language. If you consider that to be a useful tool for learning a language, you go right ahead and digest it!
Actually, I did find the grammar in K&R to be worth reading through. I've given serious thought to transcribing the grammar in Ellis and Stroustrup into a hyperlinked form and trying to flesh it out with links, both internalm, and to further discussions and examples. I have to agree, the grammar itself is not a very effective introductory pedagogical tool.
I've not been following the thread, so I thought this book had been discussed. It's the definitive tome, the K&R of C++. It's the book I mention above, with the grammar in Appendix A. I have the paperback version which has a different cover and ISBN number, but the table of contents is identical to my copy.
It's a pig to read - very heavy going - but if you're after the definitive work on the language with every single feature[*] guaranteed to be covered, that's the book to have.
My problem with the Ellis and Stroustrup book has to do with the amount of attention given to the whys of language design, and the extensive comparison and contrast with C. It also assumes the reader is fairly comfortable with C, which I am not - thought I am not completely at a loss. I just hope his SE is a bit more focused on C++, rather than on the place of C++ in the C programmer's life. I realize you mentioned this book earlier. It doesn't look to be the 400 page exposition I was dreaming about. To some extent, I'm just rambling about what I think make a good 'definitive' language book. I was also trying to pick up the discussion since I've been very distracted with getting my system in some semblence of order. I do believe this horse is about ready fo the glue factory. I'm working on another message which probably stands to go a bit further. TTTT, Ira Pohl's Object-Oriented Programming Using C++ looks like a modest approximation to what I'm seeking. Since I already have it, the price can't be beat.
[*] GNU GCC extensions not included. :o)
I have the sense what I really want is the standard C++ library reference, which seems to be treated in Stroustrup's SE. Actually, I think what sold me on the Stroustrup Book was the reference to Eric Blood-Axe. {:-)> STH