You Can Program in C++: A Programmer's Introduction

An interactive and fun way to learn C++, one of the most popular high-level programming languages for graphic applications This unique, hands-on approach to learning C++ makes the experience fun and interesting by offering the opportunity for readers to get started on real coding Features numerous examples and project ideas as well as GUI and audio extensions so readers can get instant feedback - in addition to instant gratification from producing a program that works Written by one of the world's leading authorities on C and C++, the book includes invaluable reference sections at the end of each chapter Discusses modern C++ idioms, which are often neglected in other publications

Table of Contents:
Preface xiii Acknowledgements xv Introduction xvii Studying C++ xviii Using This Book xix A Comment on Comments xx Overview of C++ 1 What is in a Name 1 What is in C++ 1 Different Backgrounds 3 Fundamental C++for C++Programmers 3 Fundamental C++for C Programmers 4 Fundamental C++for Java Programmers 5 Fundamental C++for C# Programmers 5 Fundamental C++for COBOL Programmers 6 Fundamental C++for Python Programmers 6 Fundamental C++for (Visual) Basic Programmers 7 Fundamental C++for Pascal and Delphi Programmers 7 Fundamental C++for Functional Programmers 8 Fundamental C++for Lisp and Logo Programmers 8 Fundamental C++for Object-Oriented Programmers 9 Fundamental C++for Every Programmer 9 1 Getting Started 11 Creating a ‘Hello World’ Program 12 What the Code Means 16 Our Second Program–An Empty Playpen 17 What the Code Means 20 Something to Play With 21 Summary 21 2 Fundamental Types, Operators, and Simple Variables 23 A Simple Program 23 What Is a Type? 24 What Are Fundamental Types? 25 Representing Negative Integers 26 Derivative Types 27 Declaration and Definition 28 Names in C++ 28 Operators 29 A Simple Program 30 Exceptions –Handling Bad Input 31 Writing Correct Code 32 Getting Output Before Handling an Exception 33 A Little More About Playpen 34 Default Playpen Color Names 36 Characters and Text 37 Floating-Point Numbers 39 First Floating-Point Program 39 3 Looping and Making Decisions 51 Some Library Types 51 Making Decisions 53 Looping 58 On Magic Numbers 65 4 Namespaces and the C++ Standard Library 71 Wide Versus Narrow Character Set Support 71 Namespaces 72 Input from std::cin 76 Output with std::cout 78 Standard Console Output Objects 78 Playpen Plotting Modes 79 Further Practice 80 5 Writing Functions in C++ 85 The C++Function Concept 85 Sorting in Other Orders 86 Designing a Function 87 C++Procedures 92 Pure Functions 92 Overloading Functions 93 Resetting istream and ostream Objects 96 Unnamed Parameters 103 Separate Compilation and Header Files 104 6 Behavior, Sequence Points, and Order of Evaluation 109 Types of Behavior 109 Sequence Points 113 Order of Evaluation 115 Guidelines 116 7 Generic Functions 119 Which Is Larger 119 Getting the Largest 121 Getting the Largest Using a typedef 121 Getting the Largest Using a Template 123 Ambiguity 126 Function Templates Can Be Specialized 128 Specializing max( ) 129 Overloading Function Templates 130 C++ Iterators 132 Version of max (std::vector)Using an Iterator 133 The fgw::read Function Templates 134 8 User-Defined Types, Part 1: typedef and enum 143 typedef:New Names for Old 143 On Reading Declarations 145 enum 147 Operator Overloading 150 9 User-Defined Types, Part 2: Simple classes (value types) 157 ISBN as a class Type 158 Testing Code 162 Overloading Operators 164 A Value Type for Playing Cards 165 public Versus private 166 Special Member Functions: Constructors 166 Special Member Functions: Destructors 167 Special Member Functions: Copy assignment, operator= 167 Ordinary Member Functions 168 Implementing Constructors 168 Implementing a Destructor 169 Implementing Copy Assignment, operator= 169 Implementing a Member Function 170 Separate Compilation 171 Developing the card value Type 174 Changing the Implementation 177 Pointers and Arrays 179 Consolidation– a Point Class 181 Defining Member Functions in a Class Definition 184 Constructors and Destructors 187 10 User-Defined Types, Part 3: Simple classes (homogeneous entity types) 189 Examples of Value and Entity Types 189 A Simple Playing-Card Entity 190 Another Entity Type: Deck of Cards 192 Output for deck 195 Creating a deck Instance Froma File 198 11 Pointers, Smart Pointers, Iterators, and Dynamic Instances 203 Raw Pointers 203 A Dangerous Special Case 205 Arrays 206 Arrays and Pointers 208 Dynamic Instances 209 Smart Pointers 216 Iterators 217 12 User-Defined Types, Part 4: Class hierarchies, polymorphism, inheritance, and subtypes 221 An Interface for a Chess Piece 222 Implementing basic chess piece 224 Implementing a Knight 228 Getting Polymorphic Behavior 231 Getting the Identity 232 Removing an Irritant 233 Moving to an Occupied Square 234 Another Piece 234 13 Dynamic Object Creation and Polymorphic Objects 239 Selecting the Subtype at Runtime 239 Unnamed Namespaces 241 A Chess-Piece Type 244 Implementing chess piece 246 Defining and Implementing the Subtypes 248 Constructing a Specific Chess Piece 251 The chesspiece Constructor and transform ( ) 252 Implementing the Rest of chesspiece 252 Collections of Objects 255 Design and Implementation of a chessboard Type 256 14 Streams, Files, and Persistence 259 The C++Stream Hierarchy 259 Appending Data 262 Consolidation 263 String Streams 263 Converting Numerical Values to Strings 265 Persistence 266 Converting Text to an Enumerator 268 15 Exceptions 273 What Is an Exception? 273 What Can I throw? 275 The Exception-Safe Copy-Assignment Idiom 281 Rethrowing 282 Exception Specifications: An Idea That Failed 283 Exceptions and Destructors 283 16 Overloading Operators and Conversion Operators 285 Overloading Operators for an Arithmetic Type 285 Conversion Operators 289 Function Objects 291 Conclusion 294 17 Containers, Iterators, and Algorithms 297 Working with a Set 298 Working with Numeric Algorithms 303 Working with a Multimap 306 Preloading a Container 307 Conclusion 308 18 Something Old, Something New 313 Code Layout and Consistency 313 Where to Put const 314 Function-Style Versus Assignment-Style Initialization 315 Using using 318 Switching Off Polymorphism 319 Alternative Spellings for Operators 320 Hungarian Notation 320 Names for Constants 320 Comments and ‘Need to Know’ 321 Multiple Exits from Structures 321 Refactoring and the Power of Objects 323 Using a Legacy Library 327 In Conclusion 329 Appendix A: Those Who Went Before 331 References 349 Index 351

About the Author :
Francis Glassborow was chairman of the ACCU (Association of C & C++ Users) and edited the groups' principle publication throughout the 90's. He has published reviews of most C++ books on the market but doesn't confine his wisdom nor interest just to this language. He was a regular columnist for .EXE. Until this year he chaired an annual Programmers conference that regularly attracts the heavy-weights in C++ as well as other languages. He heads the UK delegation to the ISO working group committees for C and C++ and is therefore considered to be one of the world's leading authorities. He is the originator of much of the material aimed at making C++ easier to learn in the next Standard. His first book, “You Can Do It” is a motivational book teaching basic programming constructs to people with no background. It published with Wiley in 2003.

Review :
"the book is a self-contained course, and as such, good value." (Visual Systems Journal, September 2006)