This is a not a PRIMER for BEGINNERS.
In three chapters the author skims over the basics, providing VERY LITTLE basic information and few examples. Then, in the remaining seven chapters and four appendix, dives into complex and esoteric advanced features of C++. The proper title for this book would have been 'Advanced programming techniques in C++'. There is almost nothing of value her for beginning C++ programmers.

*Sigh* it seems in my Quest to learn c++ i started everywhere but the right place.

I've read The Following:
1) C++ for Dummies "Horrible Book DO NOT BUY!"
2) C++ Demystified "Good Book For The Clueless, i dont regret buying"
3) C++ Without Fear "better than dummies, not much"
4) C++ Sams 21 Days "Good Explanations, Clean, But Primer Whoops It"
5) An introduction to programming in C++ the old old one..
"it was ok good examples but outdated"
6) looked at sum deital book but looks not so swell(didnt actually read)


this was my attempt at learning c++ and i realize that while C++ demystified & The sams 21 days book's were good i really had wasted valuable cash on the remaining books because i trusted barnes and noble to stock good books.

"this is the important part for you who are in my position"

this is what you should get: "which i Have"

1)C++ Primer (4th Edition By LIPPMAN) NOT C++ Primer Plus By Stephen Prata
2)Essential C++ (By LIPPMAN) This Book Wraps Up The Primer And is C++'s Anwser To "Learning Perl" A Great Book"
3)Accelerated C++ (Priceless)
4)Effective C++ 55
5)The C++ Standard Library
6)The C++ Programming Language (C++ Bible)
7)The C Programming Language (C Bible "Optional" But If You Want To Know C Its most Defiantly not optional)

The Above Ladies And Gentlemen Are Simply Put "The Best" If You Want To Take The Very Basics That You Know In C++ And Master The Language. Or At Least Get To An Advanced Level.. this is what you want;

truth be told this is all you'll ever need for c++..
there are some other good books but these are must haves.

WARNING: if your new to programming, so new you just now found out that it exists start with "C++ Demystified"

WARNING 2: IGNORE ALL REVIEWS ON THIS BOOK BEFORE THE YEAR 2005 AS THIS IS WHEN IT WAS MADE (the 4th Edition)

Although the pace may not be easy for someone completely new to programming, this an exellent book for learning the C++ language. It now introduces the C++ standard library early in the book, before getting into object-oriented programming and C++ class design and implementation. This makes it easier to start writing useful programms sooner. Organization, clarity and style are outstanding.

In the last year i had two computer science exams about C++ programming.
I had never seriously studied programming before, so i was surprised with almost infinite potentialities of this language.

However, modern C++ is a lot different from the one most books try to teach: i've got a lot of C++ books like Deitels' and Schlidt's, but all they offer is a overview of a "pre-standard-like" C++: a lot of chapters and exercises on arrays, pointers, C-like-strings, just like this was the core of the modern C++ language.

This book focuses instead on the things a C++ programmer should know today, his swiss-army-knife: the STL and the standard library. The book introduces vectors and strings first, then compares them with old-fashioned arrays/pointers and char*s.
This is not a book about introducing "new stuff" into the C programming language, but about learning C++ like a whole new language, thus changing the way you approach programming (a lot of other books introduces STL only in the last 2 o 3 chapters!).

The only thing i disliked about the book, funny to say, is that while not too long (the fourth edition is about 800 pages long), the book is so full of contents that a newcomer may probably find it overwhelming.
Not only it introduces classes and STL in the first chapters, but it also goes in a much deeper level of detail than other books, so if you haven't any programming (and, maybe a little C++) experience, you'll probably be going "back and forth" searching for concepts and explaination you didn't care too much about (like the notions about constructors given in the first chapter, wich would seem rather abstract if you don't know how a data structure is realized).

Anyway, this is one of the best programming books i've ever read: if you are a computer science student, a programmer who wants to learn C++ or a C++ programmer who wants to really understand "what's behind the scenes", you have to buy this!
If you are a novice in programming, this book could make you started with programming in the best way and introduce you to the best programming practices, but it can also scare you in the beginning, so you'd probably want to start elsewhere (probably with Accelerated C++, or C++ Primer Plus).

First, I own the 2nd, 3rd and 4th editions of this book. I originally learned C++ from the 2nd edition in the early 90's (it's out of date). Later I bought the 3rd edition when the C++ standards were updated. Now, after a few years away from C++, I find that I have to catch up with the latest and greatest C++ idioms, methods, convential wisdoms, whatever.

I started reading the 3rd edition and after 300 pages it became very obvious the 3rd edition was very encyclopaedic in its coverage and with its examples. The 3rd edition is an excellent reference, but for learning you need a month or more to read through the 1100+ pages. I don't have that much time. I needed something more concise -- so I bought the 4th edition.

The 4th edition is still 800 pages in length, but the information density per page is less. The examples are cut back, but they are still good, and tables are used to summarize different choices or variants to C++ syntax or libraries. These changes make the book vastly superior for learning C++ (relearning?). The examples demonstrate how to use the language and the tables convey the required information precisely. What a fantastic difference.

The 4th edition does have a different organization, that is, the order the language is introduced has changed. The emphasis is on introducing templates and generic programming much earlier than before. The section on OO design and programming is excellent, but the emphasis on templates changes its relative importance.

This may sound strange, but use the 4th edition to learn and use the 3rd edition as a reference.