C++ Primer Plus 6th Edition vs C++ Primer (5th Edition)

[DatIncredibleGuy]

DatIncredibleGuy (11)
Hi guys, I just wanna ask if C++ Primer Plus 6th Edition by Stephen Prata a good C++ book ?

and how many months will it take me to read considering it has 1k+ pages (on the average) ??

and what is best ? C++ Primer (5th Edition) or C++ Primer Plus 6th Edition by Stephen Prata ?

[Esslercuffi]

I've heard bad things about the Prata book (though that was several versions of the book ago), and good things about C++ Primer. Though I haven't looked at either.

In general, the number of pages of a programming book doesn't really matter in terms of how long it'll take you to get through it. The limiting factor is how quickly you absorb the info.

[DatIncredibleGuy]

ok lets forget about how fast I will learn, I am willing to wait and exert effort, but WHAT will be the best book ? any good book ?

I am accepting any recommendations of GOOD books or BEST books.

[Esslercuffi]

Do you have experience with any other programming languages, or are you just starting?

[anup30]

i have pdf version of both "C++ Primer 5th Ed" and "C++ Primer Plus 6th Ed"
they both published by Addison-Wesly. latter is Developer's Library series. None of them is for complete beginner(its written in them). i think both are well written. but 1st one isn't well formatted in pdf - so its some difficulty to read it. on the other hand, Lippman is a very well respected C++ writer, hes also an author of a C++ in depth series of Bjarne Stroustrup.

if you are a beginner then there are many better ways for you. such as:
1. Accelerated C++ , 453page (year 2000 - C++ in depth Series)
2. C++ How to Program - Deitel, 9th Ed (2013) 1.3K+ p
3. The Complete Reference C++ 5th ed(2014) - H Schildt (1k+ p)
4. Starting Out with C++, Tonny Gaddis, 8th ed (2014) p1269
5. SAMS Teach Yourself C++ in on hour a day (2012) p767
6. learncpp.com (2007-2008)
..........etc

[DatIncredibleGuy]

@Esslercuffi

yes I have some knowledge in C++.

EDIT :

@anup30

how about The Complete Reference C++ 4th edition ? not 5th, I cant find a 5th edition .pdf

I dunno about C++ Primer Plus 6th edition, many says its great, many say its bad.

[jlb]

how about The Complete Reference C++ 4th edition ? not 5th, I cant find a 5th edition .pdf

I would steer away from any book from this author. His early editions were extremely bad and each subsequent edition only marginally less so.

[DatIncredibleGuy]

@jlb

Ok, I made out my mind to read : C++ Primer Plus 6th Edition.

The question is : IS IT GOOD ? I hear many says its bad, many say its good, I am confused.

[anup30]

The question is : IS IT GOOD ? I hear many says its bad, many say its good, I am confused.

Addison-Wesly publishes Developer's Library series in many programming aspects. i don't think such a renowned publisher would publish a bad book. (don't listen to people - if you search forums you'd see people say "C++ Primer 5th ed" is the best book for beginners - while even the author says its reader need previous programming experience.)

H Schildt's java programming book is featured by Oracle(Java's authority) itself. so how can he be a bad writer?
i have 4th ed pdf, he teaches C part of C++ first 286 pages, then C++; while i personally don't mind this approach - many folks are completely against it. they say you'll grow bad habit! C is like an enemy to them! such as, they'll say use STL <array>, don't use normal array, because it's inherited from C. but normal array is core C++ part (rather than library) - you should not care where it inherited from. (Java and C# inherited from C++, but their usage has surpassed C++)

EDIT: its something like ur kinder Garden teacher. ur father says u'ld be a great scientist in future, so ur charisma is much higher than ur KG teacher. its true. but hey, the KG teacher is enough for what he teaches!

[jlb]

From a WIKI entry for Herbert Schidt: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Schildt

Schildt's books have a reputation for being written in a clear style, at least at first glance.[11] Their technical accuracy has been challenged by reviewers, including ISO C committee members Peter Seebach[2] and Clive Feather,[12] C FAQ author Steve Summit,[13] and numerous C Vu reviewers from the ACCU.[14]

[mutexe]

Java and C# inherited from C++, but their usage has surpassed C++

Interesting comment....

[anup30]

from Wikipedia:

Schildt holds both graduate and undergraduate degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He was a member of the original ANSI committee that standardized the C language in 1989, and the ANSI/ISO committees that updated that standard in 1999, and standardized C++ in 1998.[1][unreliable source?] Other members of the ANSI C committee have drawn his committee efforts into question.[2][3]

he had high capability to reach there. not many writers are of that capability, and not many writers have a wiki page by their name.

His earliest books were published around 1985 and 1986

He's writing from before i was born!

His books were initially published by Osborne, an early computer book publisher which concentrated on titles for the personal computer. After the acquisition of Osborne by McGraw-Hill, the imprint continued publishing Schildt's work until the imprint was subsumed completely into the larger company. His books have sold more than 3 million copies worldwide and have been translated into "all major foreign languages"

McGraw-Hill is not a xyz company and it don't publish xyz writers.

Other reviewers have been more positive, with one ACCU reviewer saying about Schildt's C: The Complete Reference, Fourth Edition that Schildt "has learnt something, not enough to receive positive acclaim but enough to remove the 'positively detrimental' epithet"

let me say, The technique which Messi or Ronaldo would use - isn't suitable for under 12 footballers. There's huge difference between a normal PhD experiment and CERN experiments. ISO committee can may find things in a beginners book. IF Usain Bolt ever think that the way kids run is highly non-technical then he's nothing but a mad person(this doesn't mean kids run techinically(!) but you should consider "degree of precision")

[Cubbi]

Many awful C++ books have been published over the years. Just because someone is a successful professional writer doesn't mean they understand anything about C++.

Stick to the community-verified list from http://stackoverflow.com/a/388282/273767