[Home Page] - [Reviews Main]

C++ Gems (Programming Pearls from the C++ Report) by S Lippman Recommended

ISBN: 1-884842-37-2       Publisher: SIGS books       Pages: 601 pages       Price: $39

Categories:   advanced c++     object oriented

Reviewed by Francis Glassborow in C Vu 8-6 (Sep 1996)

Stan Lippman who took the second three and a half year stint as editor (Rob Murray was editor for the first three and a half years) has selected about forty items (some of these consist of several articles) and classified them under one of four headings: Program Design, Programming Idioms, Applications and Language. He has then bracketed these between a couple of essays from Bjarne Stroustrup and one from Tom Cargill. The first contribution from Bjarne is from the first days of C++ Report, the final one was written as he was returning from the Monterey (July 1995) meeting of ISO/WG21 - ANSI/X3J16 . Both show Bjarne in optimistic mood.

Between those essays you will find contributions from a substantial sample of those who deserve to be described as C++experts. There is such a wealth of material in these 600 pages that I can do very little more than suggest that serious C++ programmers should either have read the originals or they should invest in this book and read an article a day. More than that would suggest that you were not getting full value from your reading.

Sometimes I regret that this book is confined to items from C++ Report. For example you will find Andy Koenig's funny and informative article How to Write Buggy Programs but not the companion piece When to Write Buggy Programs which appeared in The Journal of Object Oriented Programming . It would have been nice if the two had been printed together.

Most serious programmers need material with the kind of depth found in this book if they are to develop their skills and understanding. C++ is a large and complicated language. Learning to use it to best advantage takes years-- indeed I am not convinced that there is anyone who can yet do that. While there is no substitute for experience, good reading helps to focus your experience and enables you to develop more quickly
If you want more than is in this book you now have another option because volumes 3 - 7 of C++ Report have just been re-issued on CD . If I get time I will report on that in the 'From Other Publications Column.'