Despite its highly adaptable and flexible nature, C++ is also one of the more complex programming languages to learn. Once mastered, however, it can help you organize and process information with amazing efficiency and quickness.

The C++ Cookbook will make your path to mastery much shorter. This practical, problem-solving guide is ideal if you're an engineer, programmer, or researcher writing an application for one of the legions of platforms on which C++ runs. The algorithms provided in C++ Cookbook will jump-start your development by giving you some basic building blocks that you don't have to develop on your own.

Less a tutorial than a problem-solver, the book addresses many of the most common problems you're likely encounter--whether you've been programming in C++ for years or you're relatively new to the language. Here are just some of the time-consuming tasks this book contains practical solutions for:

• Reading the contents of a directory

• Creating a singleton class

• Date and time parsing/arithmetic

• String and text manipulation

• Working with files

• Parsing XML

• Using the standard containers

Typical of O'Reilly's "Cookbook" series, C++ Cookbook is written in a straightforward format, featuring recipes that contain problem statements and code solutions, and apply not to hypothetical situations, but those that you're likely to encounter. A detailed explanation then follows each recipe in order to show you how and why the solution works. This question-solution-discussion format is a proven teaching method, as any fan of the "Cookbook" series can attest to. This book will move quickly to the top of your list of essential C++ references.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 8 Ratings

Good Book For New C++ Programmers - 2006-09-08
Reviewer Rating:
The 'C++ Cookbook' is a great resource for any developer that might be new to or still mastering the C++ programming language. Packed with over 500 pages and broken up into 15 chapters, this book is well written and easy to follow. My main "gripe" with this book is that when I think of a cookbook, many times it's full of solutions are less well known, or slightly more challenging tasks that the average programmer might not know the solution to. With this cookbook, I feel it's geared more towards the more junior level developer who isn't a master of the language and is still learning their trade. I don't feel that this book is perfect for senior programmers, but it DOES offer common solutions in one book, so I might be incorrect in this assumption. All in all, a solid book, and one well worth keeping on your desk and you code with C++!!

**** RECOMMENDED

COOKING WITH C++!! - 2006-10-12
Reviewer Rating:
Are you a C++ programmer? If you are, then this book is for you. Authors D. Ryan Stephens, Christopher Diggins, Jonathan Turkanis and Jeff Cogswell, have done an outstanding job of writing a book about solving common problems with C++, but not a book about learning C++.

Stephens, Diggins, Turkanis and Cogswell, begin by showing you recipes that contain recipes for transforming C++ source code into executable programs and libraries. Then, the authors show you recipes that describe techniques that you apply from within header files. Next, they show you solutions to common problems when working with C++'s numeric types. The authors also show you recipes for working with strings and text files. They continue with an overview of how to manipulate dates and times. Then, the authors describe the data structures in the standard library that you can use to store data. Next, they describe how to work with the standard algorithms and how to use them on the standard containers. The authors also show you solutions to common problems related to working with C++ classes. They continue by showing you recipes for using C++'s exception-handling features. Then, the authors present an overview of streams and files. Next, they provide you with solutions to common numerical programming problems and demonstrate how to use generic programming techniques to write numerical code effectively. The authors also describe how to write multithreaded programs in C++ using the Boost Threads library. They continue by describing solutions to some common requirements when internationalizing C++ programs. Then, the authors present an overview of XML. Finally, they describe a few facets of C++ that do not actually fit neatly into any of the other chapters: Function and member pointers, const variables and member functions, and standalone operators and a few other topics.

Throughout this most excellent book, the authors give real life solutions that reflect the current best practices in C++ programming. More importantly, they focus on performance and portability, with a strong emphasis on formal and ad hoc standards.

Good for those (uncreative) new to programming (in c++) - 2009-02-26
Reviewer Rating:
Im a freshman in college and just finished my second c++ programming course, this book was my best friend. It gives you plenty of ways to do a given task and covers a broad range of topics. Because it covers a broad range of topics, even if a specific "recipe" doesn't do exactly what you want, there is usually no trouble in changing/tweaking it ever so slightly to do what you want to do for a specific problem. It's very well written and easy to understand for the laymen to c++ (like me!!)

The receipts are not Interesting - 2008-06-18
Reviewer Rating:
I bought this book because I wanted the equivalent of the "Python Cookbook" but for C++. However, I didn't find that level of information on the C++ version of the cookbook. Quite disappointing.

However, I have found out that a similar level of expertise can be found in the typical "Exceptional" and "Essential" book series. But also in the wonderful CodeProject web page http://www.codeproject.com/.

C++ books - 2008-01-07
Reviewer Rating:
A good book in a nice and handable format to take a look at the most importance topics in the c++ programming

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