Please help me Choose

[Foolly]

Hi i am new to Programming and IT. i have done a little Javascript but not much. I am interested in learning C++. i will work through the documentation but i also want a book to have aswell. If you have read these books, Can you please tell me which one is the better book. i.e Better explainations, More useful Topics, and all around better Quality of the language.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beginning-Programming-For-Dummies-Computers/dp/0470617977/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341566818&sr=1-5

or

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beginning-C-Through-Game-Programming/dp/1435457420/ref=pd_sim_b_6

also i saw a book that got better reviews than the 2 of them, but it's dated back to 2003. Isn't this too old? havent new techniques, versions come out since then? or would this be a better purchase?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beginners-Guide-Second-Edition/dp/0072232153/ref=pd_sim_b_2

[zb0S216C]

Books I Don't Recommend:

- C++ for Dummies
- Teach Yourself <X> in <Y> Days (general)
- Professional C++
- Any Book That's Written By Herb Schildt

Books I Do Recommend:

- C++ Primer, 4^th Edition
- Absolute C++
- Exceptional C++
- Programming - Principles and Practice Using C++
- Effective C++/More Effective C++
- The C++ Programming Language (and/or the special edition)

_Wazzak

[Foolly]

can you please tell me why you dont like C++ for Dummies or books by By Herb Schildt? i checked the books you recommend and a lot of them are very old. does this not matter? are they still current today? if so i'll research them further to decide. if you had to choose 1 for a beginner ready to devote a lot of time to learning the language, which of those recommended books would you suggest?

[zb0S216C]

Foolly wrote:

"can you please tell me why you dont like C++ for Dummies or books by By Herb Schildt?"

C++ for dummies displays many "no-no"s, such as not freeing dynamically allocated memory, using system() without mentioning the draw-backs and its potential for security violations. It displays multiple bad practices; enough to avoid it.

Herb Schildt is the grandmaster of bad programming practices. He constantly uses void main(), despite the fact that it's widely known as a bad programming practice. Avoid his books.

Foolly wrote:

"i checked the books you recommend and a lot of them are very old."

Nothing much, except C++11, has changed, that is, nothing drastic has changed in the previous standard to declare all existing C++ books as invalid. Many C++ books, especially those written by Scott Meyers, Herb Sutter, and Bjarne Stroustrup (creator of C++), teach what to avoid, and how things work & why they work.

Foolly wrote:

"if you had to choose 1 for a beginner ready to devote a lot of time to learning the language, which of those recommended books would you suggest?"

Programming - Principles and Practice Using C++ by Bjarne Stroustrup.

_Wazzak

[Foolly]

thanks Framework. you have been really helpful. I'll definately steer clear of those books. The comments they get on amazon are very misleading. They recieve a lot of praise. i'm guessing from people who don't know any better. It's a good thing i found this site, i was just about to order the dummy book! I'll get Programming "Principles and Practice Using C++" right away. Thanks once again:)