C++ Books List
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The Definitive C++ Book Guide and List - Stack Overflow
The Definitive C++ Book Guide and List
This question attempts to collect the few pearls among the dozens of bad C++ books that are released every year. Unlike many other programming languages, which are often picked up on the go from tutorials found on the Internet, few are able to quickly pick up C++ without studying a good C++ book. It is way too big and complex for doing this. In fact, it is so big and complex, that there are very many very bad C++ books out there. And we are not talking about bad style, but things like sporting glaringly obvious factual errors and promoting abysmally bad programming styles. And it's even worse with online tutorials. (There is a reason nobody bothered to setup a similar question for online tutorials.) Please provide quality books and an approximate skill level — preferably after discussing your addition in the C++ chat room. (The regulars might mercilessly undo your work if they disagree with a recommendation.) Add a short blurb/description about each book that you have personally read/benefited from. Feel free to debate quality, headings, etc. Books that meet the criteria will be added to the list. Books that have reviews by the Association of C and C++ Users (ACCU) have links to the review. To spell it out bluntly: There is no need to add a 75th answer to this question. If you feel like a book should be added, suggest it to the community and let's discuss it.
Note: FAQs and other resources can be found in the C++ tag info and under c++faq . There is also a similar post for C: The Definitive C Book Guide and List
Reference Style - All Levels
1. The C++ Programming Language (Bjarne Stroustrup) ( soon to be updated for C++11) The classic introduction to C++ by its creator. Written to parallel the classic K&R, this indeed reads very much alike it and covers just about everything from the core language to the standard library, to programming paradigms to the language's philosophy. (Thereby making the latest editions break the 1k page barrier.) [Review] The fourth edition (to be released in 2013) will cover C++11. 2. C++ Standard Library Tutorial and Reference (Nicolai Josuttis) ( updated for C++11) The introduction and reference for the C++ Standard Library. The second edition (released on April 9, 2012) covers C++11. [Review] 3. The C++ IO Streams and Locales (Angelika Langer and Klaus Kreft) There's very little to say about this book except that, if you want to know anything about streams and locales, then this is the one place to find definitive answers. [Review] C++ 11 References: 1. The C++ Standard (INCITS/ISO/IEC 148822011) This, of course, is the final arbiter of all that is or isn't C++. Be aware, however, that it is intended purely as a reference for experienced users willing to devote considerable time and effort to its understanding. As usual, the first release was quite expensive ($300+ US), but it has now been released in electronic form for $30US probably the least expensive of the reference books listed here. 2. Overview of the New C++ (C++11) By Scott Meyers, who's a highly respected author on C++. Even though the list of items is short, the quality is high.
Beginner
Introductory
If you are new to programming or if you have experience in other languages and are new to C++, these books are highly recommended.
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books are highly recommended.
The Definitive C++ Book Guide and List - Stack Overflow
1. C++ Primer † (Stanley Lippman, Josée Lajoie, and Barbara E. Moo) ( updated for C++11) Coming at 1k pages, this is a very thorough introduction into C++ that covers just about everything in the language in a very accessible format and in great detail. The fifth edition (released August 16, 2012) covers C++11. [Review] 2. Accelerated C++ (Andrew Koenig and Barbara Moo) This basically covers the same ground as the C++ Primer , but does so on a fourth of its space. This is largely because it does not attempt to be an introduction to programming, but an introduction to C++ for people who've previously programmed in some other language. It has a steeper learning curve, but, for those who can cope with this, it is a very compact introduction into the language. (Historically, it broke new ground by being the first beginner's book using a modern approach at teaching the language.) [Review] 3. Thinking in C++ (Bruce Eckel) Two volumes; second is more about standard library, but still very good 4. Programming: Principles and Practice Using C++ (Bjarne Stroustrup) An introduction to programming using C++ by the creator of the language. A good read, that assumes no previous programming experience, but is not only for beginners.
† Not to be confused with C++ Primer Plus (Stephen Prata), with a significantly less favorable review.
Best practices
1. Effective C++ (Scott Meyers) This was written with the aim of being the best second book C++ programmers should read, and it succeeded. Earlier editions were aimed at programmers coming from C, the third edition changes this and targets programmers coming from languages like Java. It presents ~50 easytoremember rules of thumb along with their rationale in a very accessible (and enjoyable) style. [Review] 2. Effective STL (Scott Meyers) This aims to do the same to the part of the standard library coming from the STL what Effective C++ did to the language as a whole: It presents rules of thumb along with their rationale. [Review]
Intermediate
1. More Effective C++ (Scott Meyers) Even more rules of thumb than Effective C++. Not as important as the ones in the first book, but still good to know. 2. Exceptional C++ (Herb Sutter) Presented as a set of puzzles, this has one of the best and thorough discussions of the proper resource management and exception safety in C++ through Resource Acquisition is Initialization (RAII) in addition to indepth coverage of a variety of other topics including the pimpl idiom, name lookup, good class design, and the C++ memory model. [Review] 3. More Exceptional C++ (Herb Sutter) Covers additional exception safety topics not covered in Exceptional C++, in addition to discussion of effective object oriented programming in C++ and correct use of the STL. [Review] 4. Exceptional C++ Style (Herb Sutter) Discusses generic programming, optimization, and resource management; this book also has an excellent exposition of how to write modular code in C++ by using nonmember functions and the single responsibility principle. [Review] 5. C++ Coding Standards (Herb Sutter and Andrei Alexandrescu) "Coding standards" here doesn't mean "how many spaces should I indent my code?" This book contains 101 best practices, idioms, and common pitfalls that can help you to write correct, understandable, and efficient C++ code. [Review] 6. C++ Templates: The Complete Guide (David Vandevoorde and Nicolai M. Josuttis) This is the book about C++ templates. It covers everything from the very basics to some of the most advanced template metaprogramming and explains every detail of how templates work (both conceptually and at how they are implemented) and discusses many common pitfalls. Has excellent summaries of the One Definition Rule (ODR) and overload resolution in the appendices. [Review]
Above Intermediate
1. Modern C++ Design (Andrei Alexandrescu) A groundbreaking book on advanced generic programming techniques. Introduces policybased design, type lists, and fundamental generic programming idioms then explains how many useful design patterns (including small object
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programming idioms then explains how many useful design patterns (including small object allocators, functors, factories, visitors, and multimethods) can be implemented efficiently, modularly, and cleanly using generic programming. [Review] 2. C++ Template Metaprogramming (David Abrahams and Aleksey Gurtovoy) 3. C++ Concurrency In Action (Anthony Williams) A book covering C++11 concurrency support including the thread library, the atomics library, the C++ memory model, locks and mutexes, as well as issues of designing and debugging multithreaded applications. 4. Advanced C++ Metaprogramming (Davide Di Gennaro) A preC++11 manual of TMP techniques, focused more on practice than theory. There are a ton of snippets in this book, some of which are made obsolete by typetraits, but the techniques, are nonetheless, useful to know. If you can put up with the quirky formatting/editing, it is easier to read than Alexandrescu, and arguably, more rewarding. For more experienced developers, there is a good chance that you may pick up something about a dark corner of C++ (a quirk) that usually only comes about through extensive experience.
Classics / Older
Note: Some information contained within these books may not be up to date or no longer considered best practice. 1. The Design and Evolution of C++ (Bjarne Stroustrup) If you want to know why the language is the way it is, this book is where you find answers. This covers everything before the standardization of C++. 2. Ruminations on C++ (Andrew Koenig and Barbara Moo) [Review] 3. Advanced C++ Programming Styles and Idioms (James Coplien) A predecessor of the pattern movement, it describes many C++specific "idioms". It's certainly a very good book and still worth a read if you can spare the time, but quite old and not uptodate with current C++. 4. Large Scale C++ Software Design (John Lakos) Lakos explains techniques to manage very big C++ software projects. Certainly a good read, if it only was up to date. It was written long before C++98, and misses on many features (e.g. namespaces) important for large scale projects. If you need to work in a big C++ software project, you might want to read it, although you need to take more than a grain of salt with it. There's been the rumor that Lakos is writing an uptodate edition of the book for years. 5. Inside the C++ Object Model (Stanley Lippman) If you want to know how virtual member functions are commonly implemented and how base objects are commonly laid out in memory in a multi inheritance scenario, and how all this affects performance, this is where you will find thorough discussions of such topics. This question has historical significance, but is not a good example of an appropriate question. Read and learn from this post, but please do not use it as evidence that you can ask similar questions. See the FAQ for more info.
c++ books c++faq
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community wiki 64 revs, 28 users 35% sbi
97 Tiny URL for this question: tinyurl.com/socxxbooks – sbi Feb 4 '11 at 17:47 97 To the misguided individuals who keep closing this question randomly: Please leave this question open. It
has been discussed on meta multiple times and the verdict was that, despite this question not fully adhering to current moderation guidelines, it does more good than harm. Also keep in mind that there are — literally! — thousands of links to this question all across the Internet. – sbi Aug 21 '12 at 12:55
42 Answers
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About C++ Templates The Complete Guide I can only say good things about it. Written by two top experts. And you really notice that. The examples are well written, explained and placed. They start by teaching you the basics on a few pages. Then they talk about all the pitfalls and hidden danger there is in template programming and the cool stuff that can be done with them. At the end, they explain in detail the overload resolution and the one definition rule in Appendix A and B. Strongly recommended :)
edited Jun 24 '12 at 20:22 community wiki 2 revs, 2 users 92% Johannes Schaub litb
69 This was the book that opened my eyes and made me realise how much I hated C++ – Brent.Longborough
Jan 4 '09 at 11:54
93 @Brent.Longborough: Why? Because nobody is enforced to write library code or templated code in general?
It is a bit like saying A m a n u a l o n r e f l e c t i o n s o p e n e d m y e y e s a n d m a d e m e r e a l i s e h o w m u c h I h a t e d C #. Or like hatred on your car because there's a manual for the engine, to be used by engineers. Seriously, nobody is enforced to write such code. But for those who want, e.g. library implementors/programmers this guide is indeed a complete one. It is for those who cope with templates, so programmers like you don't have to. – phresnel Jun 15 '11 at 9:54
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I enjoy the part where he discusses future trends. It is fun to see how just about all of these were realized in C++11. It seems that the more unlikely names for the features were chosen. – emsr Jun 21 '12 at 19:23
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I'd add C++ FAQs to the Beginner list. I find it highly readable, enjoyable, and a succinct summary of a lot of material in "The C++ Programming Language" and the "Effective C++" series of books.
answered Dec 23 '08 at 5:59 community wiki Nocturne
Large Scale C++ Design, by John Lakos I'd say intermediate level. In any case. read it before you start/join your very first large project (whichever level you're at).
edited Sep 28 '12 at 10:27 community wiki 3 revs, 3 users 56% Pieter
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I find the book too verbose and therefore difficult to maintain focus. I would better go for the notes at mpi inf.mpg.de/~kettner/courses/lib_design_03/notes/large.html – phaedrus Apr 10 '09 at 8:05 for "dependency heirarchy." but this is 2010. LSC++D is wayyyy outdated. Written in an era when even a modest C++ program could take 810 hours to compile and link. 95% of the issues addressed are obsolete. I have read the drafts for the second book a few years ago. Basically the manuscript was focussed on why every change to C++ in the past 15 years is harmful. Namespaces, exceptions, templates, the STL, none of these pass muster. Hopefully the MS has improved since then. – Lance Diduck Apr 26 '10 at 16:42
22 I read the book back in 1999, and found it a good read back then. It is worth reading now to get a good feel
6 5
I agree with Lance Diduck, it's obsolete. An interesting read though, but with a critical mind. – Nikko May 22 '10 at 15:05 The dependency heirarchy part is still highly relevant. We might not need 810 hours to compile anymore, but there are still a ton of projects that could benefit from compiling in one minute instead of 15 minutes or more. – que que Jun 15 '12 at 18:04
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I think Bruce Eckel's Thinking in C++ volumes really stirred me. http://www.mindview.net/Books/TICPP/ThinkingInCPP2e.html
answered Dec 23 '08 at 8:19 community wiki Kezzer
4 They are great as introductory books and for the discussions about OOP. But beware that they can't be used
as a reference guide they traded that off to be of the "tutorial" type (well, a great tutorial anyway). – Blaisorblade Jan 14 '09 at 23:51
8 Hands down the best C++ tutorials ... all other pale in comparison. – bias Mar 26 '09 at 22:49
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New book by Stroustrup Principles and Practice Using C++ should be a great beginner book.
answered Dec 23 '08 at 6:11 community wiki Jay
5 It is a very good book and very impressive that covers a lot of fields – Nikko May 10 '10 at 15:03 4 Reading the author's pdf paper on the book on teaching experiences in college it seems like he wants to
ensure that his baby (C++) is introduced in the right way to newcomers to C++. Thanks to him for making the effort to set things straight. – GuruM Feb 17 '12 at 6:27 show 1 more comment
C++ Common Knowledge by Stephen Dewhurst belongs in the Intermediate section, but just barely. The coverage of templates gets into advanced material near the end.
answered Dec 24 '08 at 15:42 community wiki Stephen W. Carson
1 I really like this book, however for a very long time I thought that there were topics that I just didn't know
about. It turned out that the common knowledge isn't so common even among very season c++ programmer. Yes, most of the topics are known or should be known, but there are at least few that are either very sparsely used or no one bothers to learn them. Once again, I love this book so don't get me wrong. I'm just stating reality. – ra170 Jan 31 '11 at 0:12 show 1 more comment
Most of what is important is already there: I would add Imperfect C++ Practical Solutions for RealLife Programming By Matthew Wilson It is intermediate level, I guess, and has a refreshing approach to it (reallife, is what he said).
edited Aug 23 '12 at 5:35 community wiki 5 revs, 5 users 70% Martin Mittendorfer
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I don't know what it's worth, but there's a book available on Stanford's CS106B Programming Abstractions web site in PDF format. The site is here: http://www.stanford.edu/class/cs106b/ You can download the book by clicking the "Course Reader PDF" link to the right. The book is called: Programming Abstractions in C++ Eric Roberts & Julie Zelenski You may also refer CS106L after completing cs106b
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community wiki 2 revs JDelage
I would like to recommend "Inside the C++ Object Model" by Stanley Lippman. It explains well how C++ object works under the hood. Knowing these details is a must to be a good C++ programmer.
answered Feb 15 '09 at 17:11 community wiki Patrick Tsai
For the 'classics' section I'd like to recommend, John Lakos "Large Scale C++ Software Design". It's quite an old book but it occupies a niche that no other C++ book I know of covers. Probably Intermediate, and if you're working on a big codebase, you'll have to have this book. I'd also like to recommend Stephen C. Dewhurst's "C++ Gotchas" for the Intermediate developer. It falls into the same category as Herb Sutter's Exceptional C++ books, only with slightly more emphasis on how to avoid shooting yourself in the foot.
answered Dec 23 '08 at 7:09 community wiki Timo Geusch
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What about this book? Essential C++ by Stanley B. Lippman It is structured in a few chapters by C++ programming paradigms: Chapter 1. Basic C++ Programming Chapter 2. Procedural Programming Chapter 3. Generic Programming Chapter Chapter 4. ObjectBased Programming Chapter 5. ObjectOriented Programming Chapter 6. Programming with Templates Chapter 7. Exception Handling Appendix A. Exercise Solutions Appendix B. Generic Algorithms Handbook Also every chapter has a bunch of exercises.
answered Feb 3 '11 at 20:06 community wiki Hoornet
7 I have read it. It is, essentially, Lippman's C++ Primer boiled down to a third of its volume. And it feels that
way. Lippman knows what he's writing about, and the book will contain no serious errors, but it's not written as a 250 page introduction. Nevertheless, we C++ folks should be glad whenever there's a book out there that has all the facts right, and this certainly is such a book. So, yes, a recommendation from me, but with some reservation. – sbi Feb 3 '11 at 21:17 show 1 more comment
STL links at http://www.stepanovpapers.com especially http://www.stepanovpapers.com/Stepanov The_Standard_Template_Library1994.pdf and http://www.stepanovpapers.com/STL/DOC.PDF
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community wiki 2 revs, 2 users 67% Ram
5 I am not sure how an almost 20 years old text on the STL as it was before it got incorporated into the std lib
(a process by which it was changed a lot) is still relevant for today. Just the other night, after browsing through it for an hour with a glass of wine in my hand, I decided that it is time to finally throw away the printout I still had of it. – sbi Apr 15 '12 at 7:50
If you are an intermediate level programmer, like fresh out of college, used C++ for small kiddish programs but now started working on C++ projects, the first few chapters of the CS106B course of Stanford is a mustread. It refreshes your memory and neatly moves on to the advanced concepts. Amazing explanations and beautiful examples.
answered Feb 17 '11 at 10:48 community wiki jackrobotics
9 I assume you mean the public content available here: stanford.edu/class/cs106b – Tony Feb 17 '11 at 13:51
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The Annotated C++ Reference Manual by Margaret Ellis and Bjarne Stroustrup should be listed under classics.It is still very well regarded almost 20 years later, though somewhat dated.
answered Mar 19 '09 at 19:57 community wiki Dave Mooney
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The Boost C++ Libraries, written by Boris Schäling, and translated to English by Andreas Masur provides an introduction to the Boost libraries. The first edition is available online under a Creative Commons license and covers Boost 1.42.0. There's a newer edition that covers Boost 1.47.0 (but this one is not available for free). The book focus on Boost and only Boost. It assumes some C++ knowledge, but not too much, so I think it's a good book for the fledgling C++ student that after obtaining a grasp of the language wants to use Boost. The book covers the most commonly used libraries, and describes each component with examples and enough detail to get you started using each of them. Obviously, given the sheer size of Boost, it can't go into excruciating detail over everything, so this is more of an introductory book than a full reference. Nevertheless, the book is still useful for Boost veterans that want to get started quickly with some part of Boost that they're not familiar with yet.
answered Dec 5 '11 at 17:40 community wiki R. Martinho Fernandes
If what you're looking for is a fairly complete reference, I like C++ in a Nutshell. I have found it to be more complete and more to the point than "The C++ Programming Language" (which I guess is the point of the Nutshell series). However, it is definitely not for the beginner.
answered Dec 23 '08 at 23:40 community wiki zdan
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For German readers, I can recommend the book by Prof. Ulrich Breymann "Der C++ Programmierer", Hanser Verlag, 2009. It's 950 pages cover all possible aspects of C++ from Hello World to STL, smart pointers, thread programming, overriding of operator new, etc. It benefits greatly by being a very recent
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book (and a standard text for German informaticians), so is targeted to the C++0x standard syntax. It is also a beautifully produced book, which makes for a pleasure to read. I have coached and consulted in C++ in recent years and this is my constant companion and always my first recommendation.
edited Aug 23 '12 at 5:43 community wiki 3 revs, 2 users 73% Paul Buller
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API Design for C++ by Martin Reddy. Good read after Meyers' Effective C++ and and Josuttis's The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference.
answered Jul 24 '11 at 14:19 community wiki pic11
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In spite of being stated beforehand, it is fertile to reiterate Stephen Dewhurst's two books: C++ Gotchas: Avoiding Common Problems in Coding and Design C++ Common Knowledge: Essential Intermediate Programming and Danny Kalev's constantly updated ebook: C++ Reference Guide Lastly, don't you think you should add in that list Herb Sutter's other book as well and the best Boost introductory book that exists?
edited Aug 23 '12 at 5:34 community wiki 3 revs, 2 users 90% Comptrol
I got C++ Cookbook as a birthday present and like it a good deal. It's a very practical book, with code examples ("recipes") to solve specific problems. Each recipe is explained in detail by breaking the code down and showing why things have been done a certain way. Many recipes show you how to do things using STL and/or Boost, and sometimes how to roll your own.
answered Feb 18 '09 at 20:23 community wiki Scottie T
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I think, while not primarily targetting C++, the GOF's Design Patterns Elements of Reusable Object Oriented Software by Gamma, Helm, Johnson, Vlissides should have a place here, since it teaches basics of solid software design, mostly using C++ for code examples, thus giving good insight into what to do with C++.
edited Aug 20 '11 at 8:15 community wiki karx11erx
3 This is still a pretty decent book, IMO, despite it's age and all the pattern hate that has replace the pattern
obsession in the 90s, but I don't think it should be included in a C++ book list. – sbi Apr 15 '12 at 7:41
Data Structures in C++ using STL This was a textbook for a data structures class I took and one of the few that I considered good enough not to sell back at the end of the semester.
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I personally really liked Professional C++ as an intermediate or maybe advanced book. It has a great intro without going too basic, great coverage of pointers, STL, even frameworks to use for certain scenarios.
answered Mar 5 '09 at 22:58 community wiki Simara
1 This book sucked, i couldnt read it after first 3 chapters. – vehomzzz Oct 15 '09 at 17:59
The C++ Standard Library Extensions: A Tutorial and Reference by Pete Becker
answered Aug 7 '11 at 12:25 community wiki plan9assembler
1 This lists libraries that are now part of the C++ library since 2003. No matter whether it's good (I believe it is),
it's seriously outdated. – sbi Apr 15 '12 at 7:15 show 2 more comments
The C++ language reference at MSDN. It is a pretty good stuff: MSDN C++ language Reference
edited Aug 23 '12 at 5:39 community wiki 2 revs, 2 users 67% crazy_prog
8 I would stay away from the MSspecific implementation of C++, known to be nonstandard. Besides, that
"language reference" isn't so well written. MS did quite a few good things (like C#), C++ development environment isn't one of them anymore. – RedGlyph Aug 6 '12 at 18:08 show 2 more comments
I think C++ in easy steps is one of the best, and most concise ways to learn C++. It's only about 15 bucks USD, and it taught me everything I know in about 150 pages. An introduction to programming is present, but I guess it's all personal choice when it comes to books although some are more widely recognized than others.
answered Oct 31 '11 at 22:51 community wiki Marc DiMillo
1 The thinnest C++ book I have ever read is Accelerated C++ by Koenig/Moo. It comes at 250 pages, and
despite the fact that it has a learning curve that's almost unsurmountable for lots of students and skips over many parts of C++, it's still an excellent beginner's book. However, I very seriously doubt one could remove 40% of it's content and still have a decent book covering even only the most important parts of the language. If this taught you everything you know about C++, then I suggest you pick up other books (there's a list of good C++ books somewhere on SO) and learn more. – sbi Apr 15 '12 at 7:08 show 5 more comments
Beginning C++ Through Game Programming
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by Michael Dawson
The Definitive C++ Book Guide and List - Stack Overflow
Level: Beginner > Introductory
This book is written for the beginner, and assumes no previous programming experience.
Perspective: Game Programming
This book approaches learning C++ from a game development perspective.
Example:
In this book, instead of the traditional "Hello World!" program, it teaches the following "Game Over!" version: / / G a m e O v e r / / A f i r s t C þ þ p r o g r a m # i n c l u d e < i o s t r e a m > i n t m a i n ( ) { s t d : : c o u t < < " G a m e O v e r ! " < < s t d : : e n d l ; r e t u r n 0 ; }
answered Apr 24 '12 at 4:22 community wiki James Didzun
1 I loved this book! – kunj2aan Jun 14 '12 at 3:12
Intermediate: Elements of Programming This short (but dense) book has a remarkable mix of abstract algebra (e.g. chapter two is dedicated to "Associative Operations") with the concrete algorithmic implementations in relatively short C++ code snippets (abstracted via templates, of course).
answered Apr 26 '12 at 1:28 community wiki pnkfelix
For selftaught knowledge of computers and C++, I was really fond of Neil Grey A Beginners C++ especially since the entire thing is available for free as a series of PDF's (here) which makes life so much easier when you want to copy paste code for exercises or templates. When learning about a subject, I like the Wikipediastyle version. There aren't a lot of longwinded introductions, anecdotes and tangents. These make for nice novels, or introductory books for people who aren't really that interested in the subject but if you want to get down to brass tax and dense facts, this is a great reference. One of the uniquely useful parts about this book is how is has a column running down the side of every page containing key words referenced in that section in addition to the usual section headers and running page headers that tell you where you're at. The sections are organized in what is, to me, the most logical approach a crash course on computer hardware, followed by machine language, and then higher level language, algorithms, design paradigms, OOP, etc. It also gives well annotated examples of code from practical applications, such as air traffic control software and does a good job of underlying the real world importance of best practice principles like information experts, modularity, and documentation. It's survived so long for being mostly IDE agnostic, but I wish someone would go back and take out all those embarrassingly outdated references to Borland.
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community wiki 2 revs, 2 users 94% Alain
For beginners and nonnative English speakers, the book LetUsC++ is very useful. This author has written a book called LetUsC which is also popular and referred by many Indian students.
edited Aug 23 '12 at 5:45 community wiki 2 revs, 2 users 77% Dinesh P.R.
4 Stay away from Kanetkar's books if you're serious about learning C++/C programming! – Curious Oct 4 '12 at
18:54
3 @Fake.It.Til.U.Make.It I would definitely not copy stuff from others to write a book! – Curious Oct 25 '12 at
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The Definitive C++ Book Guide and List
This question attempts to collect the few pearls among the dozens of bad C++ books that are released every year. Unlike many other programming languages, which are often picked up on the go from tutorials found on the Internet, few are able to quickly pick up C++ without studying a good C++ book. It is way too big and complex for doing this. In fact, it is so big and complex, that there are very many very bad C++ books out there. And we are not talking about bad style, but things like sporting glaringly obvious factual errors and promoting abysmally bad programming styles. And it's even worse with online tutorials. (There is a reason nobody bothered to setup a similar question for online tutorials.) Please provide quality books and an approximate skill level — preferably after discussing your addition in the C++ chat room. (The regulars might mercilessly undo your work if they disagree with a recommendation.) Add a short blurb/description about each book that you have personally read/benefited from. Feel free to debate quality, headings, etc. Books that meet the criteria will be added to the list. Books that have reviews by the Association of C and C++ Users (ACCU) have links to the review. To spell it out bluntly: There is no need to add a 75th answer to this question. If you feel like a book should be added, suggest it to the community and let's discuss it.
Note: FAQs and other resources can be found in the C++ tag info and under c++faq . There is also a similar post for C: The Definitive C Book Guide and List
Reference Style - All Levels
1. The C++ Programming Language (Bjarne Stroustrup) ( soon to be updated for C++11) The classic introduction to C++ by its creator. Written to parallel the classic K&R, this indeed reads very much alike it and covers just about everything from the core language to the standard library, to programming paradigms to the language's philosophy. (Thereby making the latest editions break the 1k page barrier.) [Review] The fourth edition (to be released in 2013) will cover C++11. 2. C++ Standard Library Tutorial and Reference (Nicolai Josuttis) ( updated for C++11) The introduction and reference for the C++ Standard Library. The second edition (released on April 9, 2012) covers C++11. [Review] 3. The C++ IO Streams and Locales (Angelika Langer and Klaus Kreft) There's very little to say about this book except that, if you want to know anything about streams and locales, then this is the one place to find definitive answers. [Review] C++ 11 References: 1. The C++ Standard (INCITS/ISO/IEC 148822011) This, of course, is the final arbiter of all that is or isn't C++. Be aware, however, that it is intended purely as a reference for experienced users willing to devote considerable time and effort to its understanding. As usual, the first release was quite expensive ($300+ US), but it has now been released in electronic form for $30US probably the least expensive of the reference books listed here. 2. Overview of the New C++ (C++11) By Scott Meyers, who's a highly respected author on C++. Even though the list of items is short, the quality is high.
Beginner
Introductory
If you are new to programming or if you have experience in other languages and are new to C++, these books are highly recommended.
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books are highly recommended.
The Definitive C++ Book Guide and List - Stack Overflow
1. C++ Primer † (Stanley Lippman, Josée Lajoie, and Barbara E. Moo) ( updated for C++11) Coming at 1k pages, this is a very thorough introduction into C++ that covers just about everything in the language in a very accessible format and in great detail. The fifth edition (released August 16, 2012) covers C++11. [Review] 2. Accelerated C++ (Andrew Koenig and Barbara Moo) This basically covers the same ground as the C++ Primer , but does so on a fourth of its space. This is largely because it does not attempt to be an introduction to programming, but an introduction to C++ for people who've previously programmed in some other language. It has a steeper learning curve, but, for those who can cope with this, it is a very compact introduction into the language. (Historically, it broke new ground by being the first beginner's book using a modern approach at teaching the language.) [Review] 3. Thinking in C++ (Bruce Eckel) Two volumes; second is more about standard library, but still very good 4. Programming: Principles and Practice Using C++ (Bjarne Stroustrup) An introduction to programming using C++ by the creator of the language. A good read, that assumes no previous programming experience, but is not only for beginners.
† Not to be confused with C++ Primer Plus (Stephen Prata), with a significantly less favorable review.
Best practices
1. Effective C++ (Scott Meyers) This was written with the aim of being the best second book C++ programmers should read, and it succeeded. Earlier editions were aimed at programmers coming from C, the third edition changes this and targets programmers coming from languages like Java. It presents ~50 easytoremember rules of thumb along with their rationale in a very accessible (and enjoyable) style. [Review] 2. Effective STL (Scott Meyers) This aims to do the same to the part of the standard library coming from the STL what Effective C++ did to the language as a whole: It presents rules of thumb along with their rationale. [Review]
Intermediate
1. More Effective C++ (Scott Meyers) Even more rules of thumb than Effective C++. Not as important as the ones in the first book, but still good to know. 2. Exceptional C++ (Herb Sutter) Presented as a set of puzzles, this has one of the best and thorough discussions of the proper resource management and exception safety in C++ through Resource Acquisition is Initialization (RAII) in addition to indepth coverage of a variety of other topics including the pimpl idiom, name lookup, good class design, and the C++ memory model. [Review] 3. More Exceptional C++ (Herb Sutter) Covers additional exception safety topics not covered in Exceptional C++, in addition to discussion of effective object oriented programming in C++ and correct use of the STL. [Review] 4. Exceptional C++ Style (Herb Sutter) Discusses generic programming, optimization, and resource management; this book also has an excellent exposition of how to write modular code in C++ by using nonmember functions and the single responsibility principle. [Review] 5. C++ Coding Standards (Herb Sutter and Andrei Alexandrescu) "Coding standards" here doesn't mean "how many spaces should I indent my code?" This book contains 101 best practices, idioms, and common pitfalls that can help you to write correct, understandable, and efficient C++ code. [Review] 6. C++ Templates: The Complete Guide (David Vandevoorde and Nicolai M. Josuttis) This is the book about C++ templates. It covers everything from the very basics to some of the most advanced template metaprogramming and explains every detail of how templates work (both conceptually and at how they are implemented) and discusses many common pitfalls. Has excellent summaries of the One Definition Rule (ODR) and overload resolution in the appendices. [Review]
Above Intermediate
1. Modern C++ Design (Andrei Alexandrescu) A groundbreaking book on advanced generic programming techniques. Introduces policybased design, type lists, and fundamental generic programming idioms then explains how many useful design patterns (including small object
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programming idioms then explains how many useful design patterns (including small object allocators, functors, factories, visitors, and multimethods) can be implemented efficiently, modularly, and cleanly using generic programming. [Review] 2. C++ Template Metaprogramming (David Abrahams and Aleksey Gurtovoy) 3. C++ Concurrency In Action (Anthony Williams) A book covering C++11 concurrency support including the thread library, the atomics library, the C++ memory model, locks and mutexes, as well as issues of designing and debugging multithreaded applications. 4. Advanced C++ Metaprogramming (Davide Di Gennaro) A preC++11 manual of TMP techniques, focused more on practice than theory. There are a ton of snippets in this book, some of which are made obsolete by typetraits, but the techniques, are nonetheless, useful to know. If you can put up with the quirky formatting/editing, it is easier to read than Alexandrescu, and arguably, more rewarding. For more experienced developers, there is a good chance that you may pick up something about a dark corner of C++ (a quirk) that usually only comes about through extensive experience.
Classics / Older
Note: Some information contained within these books may not be up to date or no longer considered best practice. 1. The Design and Evolution of C++ (Bjarne Stroustrup) If you want to know why the language is the way it is, this book is where you find answers. This covers everything before the standardization of C++. 2. Ruminations on C++ (Andrew Koenig and Barbara Moo) [Review] 3. Advanced C++ Programming Styles and Idioms (James Coplien) A predecessor of the pattern movement, it describes many C++specific "idioms". It's certainly a very good book and still worth a read if you can spare the time, but quite old and not uptodate with current C++. 4. Large Scale C++ Software Design (John Lakos) Lakos explains techniques to manage very big C++ software projects. Certainly a good read, if it only was up to date. It was written long before C++98, and misses on many features (e.g. namespaces) important for large scale projects. If you need to work in a big C++ software project, you might want to read it, although you need to take more than a grain of salt with it. There's been the rumor that Lakos is writing an uptodate edition of the book for years. 5. Inside the C++ Object Model (Stanley Lippman) If you want to know how virtual member functions are commonly implemented and how base objects are commonly laid out in memory in a multi inheritance scenario, and how all this affects performance, this is where you will find thorough discussions of such topics. This question has historical significance, but is not a good example of an appropriate question. Read and learn from this post, but please do not use it as evidence that you can ask similar questions. See the FAQ for more info.
c++ books c++faq
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community wiki 64 revs, 28 users 35% sbi
97 Tiny URL for this question: tinyurl.com/socxxbooks – sbi Feb 4 '11 at 17:47 97 To the misguided individuals who keep closing this question randomly: Please leave this question open. It
has been discussed on meta multiple times and the verdict was that, despite this question not fully adhering to current moderation guidelines, it does more good than harm. Also keep in mind that there are — literally! — thousands of links to this question all across the Internet. – sbi Aug 21 '12 at 12:55
42 Answers
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About C++ Templates The Complete Guide I can only say good things about it. Written by two top experts. And you really notice that. The examples are well written, explained and placed. They start by teaching you the basics on a few pages. Then they talk about all the pitfalls and hidden danger there is in template programming and the cool stuff that can be done with them. At the end, they explain in detail the overload resolution and the one definition rule in Appendix A and B. Strongly recommended :)
edited Jun 24 '12 at 20:22 community wiki 2 revs, 2 users 92% Johannes Schaub litb
69 This was the book that opened my eyes and made me realise how much I hated C++ – Brent.Longborough
Jan 4 '09 at 11:54
93 @Brent.Longborough: Why? Because nobody is enforced to write library code or templated code in general?
It is a bit like saying A m a n u a l o n r e f l e c t i o n s o p e n e d m y e y e s a n d m a d e m e r e a l i s e h o w m u c h I h a t e d C #. Or like hatred on your car because there's a manual for the engine, to be used by engineers. Seriously, nobody is enforced to write such code. But for those who want, e.g. library implementors/programmers this guide is indeed a complete one. It is for those who cope with templates, so programmers like you don't have to. – phresnel Jun 15 '11 at 9:54
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I enjoy the part where he discusses future trends. It is fun to see how just about all of these were realized in C++11. It seems that the more unlikely names for the features were chosen. – emsr Jun 21 '12 at 19:23
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I'd add C++ FAQs to the Beginner list. I find it highly readable, enjoyable, and a succinct summary of a lot of material in "The C++ Programming Language" and the "Effective C++" series of books.
answered Dec 23 '08 at 5:59 community wiki Nocturne
Large Scale C++ Design, by John Lakos I'd say intermediate level. In any case. read it before you start/join your very first large project (whichever level you're at).
edited Sep 28 '12 at 10:27 community wiki 3 revs, 3 users 56% Pieter
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I find the book too verbose and therefore difficult to maintain focus. I would better go for the notes at mpi inf.mpg.de/~kettner/courses/lib_design_03/notes/large.html – phaedrus Apr 10 '09 at 8:05 for "dependency heirarchy." but this is 2010. LSC++D is wayyyy outdated. Written in an era when even a modest C++ program could take 810 hours to compile and link. 95% of the issues addressed are obsolete. I have read the drafts for the second book a few years ago. Basically the manuscript was focussed on why every change to C++ in the past 15 years is harmful. Namespaces, exceptions, templates, the STL, none of these pass muster. Hopefully the MS has improved since then. – Lance Diduck Apr 26 '10 at 16:42
22 I read the book back in 1999, and found it a good read back then. It is worth reading now to get a good feel
6 5
I agree with Lance Diduck, it's obsolete. An interesting read though, but with a critical mind. – Nikko May 22 '10 at 15:05 The dependency heirarchy part is still highly relevant. We might not need 810 hours to compile anymore, but there are still a ton of projects that could benefit from compiling in one minute instead of 15 minutes or more. – que que Jun 15 '12 at 18:04
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I think Bruce Eckel's Thinking in C++ volumes really stirred me. http://www.mindview.net/Books/TICPP/ThinkingInCPP2e.html
answered Dec 23 '08 at 8:19 community wiki Kezzer
4 They are great as introductory books and for the discussions about OOP. But beware that they can't be used
as a reference guide they traded that off to be of the "tutorial" type (well, a great tutorial anyway). – Blaisorblade Jan 14 '09 at 23:51
8 Hands down the best C++ tutorials ... all other pale in comparison. – bias Mar 26 '09 at 22:49
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New book by Stroustrup Principles and Practice Using C++ should be a great beginner book.
answered Dec 23 '08 at 6:11 community wiki Jay
5 It is a very good book and very impressive that covers a lot of fields – Nikko May 10 '10 at 15:03 4 Reading the author's pdf paper on the book on teaching experiences in college it seems like he wants to
ensure that his baby (C++) is introduced in the right way to newcomers to C++. Thanks to him for making the effort to set things straight. – GuruM Feb 17 '12 at 6:27 show 1 more comment
C++ Common Knowledge by Stephen Dewhurst belongs in the Intermediate section, but just barely. The coverage of templates gets into advanced material near the end.
answered Dec 24 '08 at 15:42 community wiki Stephen W. Carson
1 I really like this book, however for a very long time I thought that there were topics that I just didn't know
about. It turned out that the common knowledge isn't so common even among very season c++ programmer. Yes, most of the topics are known or should be known, but there are at least few that are either very sparsely used or no one bothers to learn them. Once again, I love this book so don't get me wrong. I'm just stating reality. – ra170 Jan 31 '11 at 0:12 show 1 more comment
Most of what is important is already there: I would add Imperfect C++ Practical Solutions for RealLife Programming By Matthew Wilson It is intermediate level, I guess, and has a refreshing approach to it (reallife, is what he said).
edited Aug 23 '12 at 5:35 community wiki 5 revs, 5 users 70% Martin Mittendorfer
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I don't know what it's worth, but there's a book available on Stanford's CS106B Programming Abstractions web site in PDF format. The site is here: http://www.stanford.edu/class/cs106b/ You can download the book by clicking the "Course Reader PDF" link to the right. The book is called: Programming Abstractions in C++ Eric Roberts & Julie Zelenski You may also refer CS106L after completing cs106b
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I would like to recommend "Inside the C++ Object Model" by Stanley Lippman. It explains well how C++ object works under the hood. Knowing these details is a must to be a good C++ programmer.
answered Feb 15 '09 at 17:11 community wiki Patrick Tsai
For the 'classics' section I'd like to recommend, John Lakos "Large Scale C++ Software Design". It's quite an old book but it occupies a niche that no other C++ book I know of covers. Probably Intermediate, and if you're working on a big codebase, you'll have to have this book. I'd also like to recommend Stephen C. Dewhurst's "C++ Gotchas" for the Intermediate developer. It falls into the same category as Herb Sutter's Exceptional C++ books, only with slightly more emphasis on how to avoid shooting yourself in the foot.
answered Dec 23 '08 at 7:09 community wiki Timo Geusch
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What about this book? Essential C++ by Stanley B. Lippman It is structured in a few chapters by C++ programming paradigms: Chapter 1. Basic C++ Programming Chapter 2. Procedural Programming Chapter 3. Generic Programming Chapter Chapter 4. ObjectBased Programming Chapter 5. ObjectOriented Programming Chapter 6. Programming with Templates Chapter 7. Exception Handling Appendix A. Exercise Solutions Appendix B. Generic Algorithms Handbook Also every chapter has a bunch of exercises.
answered Feb 3 '11 at 20:06 community wiki Hoornet
7 I have read it. It is, essentially, Lippman's C++ Primer boiled down to a third of its volume. And it feels that
way. Lippman knows what he's writing about, and the book will contain no serious errors, but it's not written as a 250 page introduction. Nevertheless, we C++ folks should be glad whenever there's a book out there that has all the facts right, and this certainly is such a book. So, yes, a recommendation from me, but with some reservation. – sbi Feb 3 '11 at 21:17 show 1 more comment
STL links at http://www.stepanovpapers.com especially http://www.stepanovpapers.com/Stepanov The_Standard_Template_Library1994.pdf and http://www.stepanovpapers.com/STL/DOC.PDF
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community wiki 2 revs, 2 users 67% Ram
5 I am not sure how an almost 20 years old text on the STL as it was before it got incorporated into the std lib
(a process by which it was changed a lot) is still relevant for today. Just the other night, after browsing through it for an hour with a glass of wine in my hand, I decided that it is time to finally throw away the printout I still had of it. – sbi Apr 15 '12 at 7:50
If you are an intermediate level programmer, like fresh out of college, used C++ for small kiddish programs but now started working on C++ projects, the first few chapters of the CS106B course of Stanford is a mustread. It refreshes your memory and neatly moves on to the advanced concepts. Amazing explanations and beautiful examples.
answered Feb 17 '11 at 10:48 community wiki jackrobotics
9 I assume you mean the public content available here: stanford.edu/class/cs106b – Tony Feb 17 '11 at 13:51
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The Annotated C++ Reference Manual by Margaret Ellis and Bjarne Stroustrup should be listed under classics.It is still very well regarded almost 20 years later, though somewhat dated.
answered Mar 19 '09 at 19:57 community wiki Dave Mooney
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The Boost C++ Libraries, written by Boris Schäling, and translated to English by Andreas Masur provides an introduction to the Boost libraries. The first edition is available online under a Creative Commons license and covers Boost 1.42.0. There's a newer edition that covers Boost 1.47.0 (but this one is not available for free). The book focus on Boost and only Boost. It assumes some C++ knowledge, but not too much, so I think it's a good book for the fledgling C++ student that after obtaining a grasp of the language wants to use Boost. The book covers the most commonly used libraries, and describes each component with examples and enough detail to get you started using each of them. Obviously, given the sheer size of Boost, it can't go into excruciating detail over everything, so this is more of an introductory book than a full reference. Nevertheless, the book is still useful for Boost veterans that want to get started quickly with some part of Boost that they're not familiar with yet.
answered Dec 5 '11 at 17:40 community wiki R. Martinho Fernandes
If what you're looking for is a fairly complete reference, I like C++ in a Nutshell. I have found it to be more complete and more to the point than "The C++ Programming Language" (which I guess is the point of the Nutshell series). However, it is definitely not for the beginner.
answered Dec 23 '08 at 23:40 community wiki zdan
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For German readers, I can recommend the book by Prof. Ulrich Breymann "Der C++ Programmierer", Hanser Verlag, 2009. It's 950 pages cover all possible aspects of C++ from Hello World to STL, smart pointers, thread programming, overriding of operator new, etc. It benefits greatly by being a very recent
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book (and a standard text for German informaticians), so is targeted to the C++0x standard syntax. It is also a beautifully produced book, which makes for a pleasure to read. I have coached and consulted in C++ in recent years and this is my constant companion and always my first recommendation.
edited Aug 23 '12 at 5:43 community wiki 3 revs, 2 users 73% Paul Buller
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API Design for C++ by Martin Reddy. Good read after Meyers' Effective C++ and and Josuttis's The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference.
answered Jul 24 '11 at 14:19 community wiki pic11
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In spite of being stated beforehand, it is fertile to reiterate Stephen Dewhurst's two books: C++ Gotchas: Avoiding Common Problems in Coding and Design C++ Common Knowledge: Essential Intermediate Programming and Danny Kalev's constantly updated ebook: C++ Reference Guide Lastly, don't you think you should add in that list Herb Sutter's other book as well and the best Boost introductory book that exists?
edited Aug 23 '12 at 5:34 community wiki 3 revs, 2 users 90% Comptrol
I got C++ Cookbook as a birthday present and like it a good deal. It's a very practical book, with code examples ("recipes") to solve specific problems. Each recipe is explained in detail by breaking the code down and showing why things have been done a certain way. Many recipes show you how to do things using STL and/or Boost, and sometimes how to roll your own.
answered Feb 18 '09 at 20:23 community wiki Scottie T
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I think, while not primarily targetting C++, the GOF's Design Patterns Elements of Reusable Object Oriented Software by Gamma, Helm, Johnson, Vlissides should have a place here, since it teaches basics of solid software design, mostly using C++ for code examples, thus giving good insight into what to do with C++.
edited Aug 20 '11 at 8:15 community wiki karx11erx
3 This is still a pretty decent book, IMO, despite it's age and all the pattern hate that has replace the pattern
obsession in the 90s, but I don't think it should be included in a C++ book list. – sbi Apr 15 '12 at 7:41
Data Structures in C++ using STL This was a textbook for a data structures class I took and one of the few that I considered good enough not to sell back at the end of the semester.
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I personally really liked Professional C++ as an intermediate or maybe advanced book. It has a great intro without going too basic, great coverage of pointers, STL, even frameworks to use for certain scenarios.
answered Mar 5 '09 at 22:58 community wiki Simara
1 This book sucked, i couldnt read it after first 3 chapters. – vehomzzz Oct 15 '09 at 17:59
The C++ Standard Library Extensions: A Tutorial and Reference by Pete Becker
answered Aug 7 '11 at 12:25 community wiki plan9assembler
1 This lists libraries that are now part of the C++ library since 2003. No matter whether it's good (I believe it is),
it's seriously outdated. – sbi Apr 15 '12 at 7:15 show 2 more comments
The C++ language reference at MSDN. It is a pretty good stuff: MSDN C++ language Reference
edited Aug 23 '12 at 5:39 community wiki 2 revs, 2 users 67% crazy_prog
8 I would stay away from the MSspecific implementation of C++, known to be nonstandard. Besides, that
"language reference" isn't so well written. MS did quite a few good things (like C#), C++ development environment isn't one of them anymore. – RedGlyph Aug 6 '12 at 18:08 show 2 more comments
I think C++ in easy steps is one of the best, and most concise ways to learn C++. It's only about 15 bucks USD, and it taught me everything I know in about 150 pages. An introduction to programming is present, but I guess it's all personal choice when it comes to books although some are more widely recognized than others.
answered Oct 31 '11 at 22:51 community wiki Marc DiMillo
1 The thinnest C++ book I have ever read is Accelerated C++ by Koenig/Moo. It comes at 250 pages, and
despite the fact that it has a learning curve that's almost unsurmountable for lots of students and skips over many parts of C++, it's still an excellent beginner's book. However, I very seriously doubt one could remove 40% of it's content and still have a decent book covering even only the most important parts of the language. If this taught you everything you know about C++, then I suggest you pick up other books (there's a list of good C++ books somewhere on SO) and learn more. – sbi Apr 15 '12 at 7:08 show 5 more comments
Beginning C++ Through Game Programming
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by Michael Dawson
The Definitive C++ Book Guide and List - Stack Overflow
Level: Beginner > Introductory
This book is written for the beginner, and assumes no previous programming experience.
Perspective: Game Programming
This book approaches learning C++ from a game development perspective.
Example:
In this book, instead of the traditional "Hello World!" program, it teaches the following "Game Over!" version: / / G a m e O v e r / / A f i r s t C þ þ p r o g r a m # i n c l u d e < i o s t r e a m > i n t m a i n ( ) { s t d : : c o u t < < " G a m e O v e r ! " < < s t d : : e n d l ; r e t u r n 0 ; }
answered Apr 24 '12 at 4:22 community wiki James Didzun
1 I loved this book! – kunj2aan Jun 14 '12 at 3:12
Intermediate: Elements of Programming This short (but dense) book has a remarkable mix of abstract algebra (e.g. chapter two is dedicated to "Associative Operations") with the concrete algorithmic implementations in relatively short C++ code snippets (abstracted via templates, of course).
answered Apr 26 '12 at 1:28 community wiki pnkfelix
For selftaught knowledge of computers and C++, I was really fond of Neil Grey A Beginners C++ especially since the entire thing is available for free as a series of PDF's (here) which makes life so much easier when you want to copy paste code for exercises or templates. When learning about a subject, I like the Wikipediastyle version. There aren't a lot of longwinded introductions, anecdotes and tangents. These make for nice novels, or introductory books for people who aren't really that interested in the subject but if you want to get down to brass tax and dense facts, this is a great reference. One of the uniquely useful parts about this book is how is has a column running down the side of every page containing key words referenced in that section in addition to the usual section headers and running page headers that tell you where you're at. The sections are organized in what is, to me, the most logical approach a crash course on computer hardware, followed by machine language, and then higher level language, algorithms, design paradigms, OOP, etc. It also gives well annotated examples of code from practical applications, such as air traffic control software and does a good job of underlying the real world importance of best practice principles like information experts, modularity, and documentation. It's survived so long for being mostly IDE agnostic, but I wish someone would go back and take out all those embarrassingly outdated references to Borland.
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community wiki 2 revs, 2 users 94% Alain
For beginners and nonnative English speakers, the book LetUsC++ is very useful. This author has written a book called LetUsC which is also popular and referred by many Indian students.
edited Aug 23 '12 at 5:45 community wiki 2 revs, 2 users 77% Dinesh P.R.
4 Stay away from Kanetkar's books if you're serious about learning C++/C programming! – Curious Oct 4 '12 at
18:54
3 @Fake.It.Til.U.Make.It I would definitely not copy stuff from others to write a book! – Curious Oct 25 '12 at
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