Sams' Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days: Complete Compiler Edition

Jesse Liberty's Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days does an admirable job of introducing many of the major topics in the C++ programming language and object-oriented design in a tutorial format. The first week of lessons includes the basics of C++, such as basic language statements, classes, and flow control. Using integrated examples with the included Borland C++ 3.1 compiler (for building C++ command-line programs in DOS and 16-bit Windows 3.1), the author does a great job at getting the beginning C++ programmer up and running fast. (The guide assumes readers have no prior C experience, but it will be most beneficial to readers who have some previous programming experience.)

In some of the most useful tutorials, the middle section of the book introduces C++ pointers and references as well as important object-oriented concepts such as polymorphism and inheritance. The final tutorials continue with more-advanced concepts in object design, including containment, delegation, private inheritance, and how to use C++ streams effectively. The author does a good job of making these abstract concepts comprehensible. Short code excerpts illustrate all the basics.

Later, the author demonstrates his considerable expertise in object-oriented analysis and design without getting too bogged down in software engineering theory. Information on getting the most out of the C++ preprocessors, macro statements, C++ templates, and exception handling round out this solid introduction. (Although there is little material on introducing the C++ Standard Library here--one of the most productive language features of C++--the author manages to cover a lot of ground.) --Richard V. Dragan