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Buying books.
Author
Just wondering....I know C/C++ pretty well but I have yet to like use the STL and really like make any large programs, I''m about to buy the following books as I need a reference and to learn more about STL, though I''m not sure if I really need the STL book from these four here.
C/C++ Programmer''s Reference
The C++ Programming Language
The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference
The Black Art of 3D Game Programming
Do I really need the STL? I''m taking the 2 references cuz the second one also teaches some and the first covers some topics the second doesnt. Black art is a personal choice, heck I really want to know all of the background stuff and ideas.
any suggestions?
Yep, the STL book by Josuttis is a must buy. It''s the best on the subject.
And the STL is a good thing to learn. If only the vector, list and map classes.
And the STL is a good thing to learn. If only the vector, list and map classes.
quote: Original post by Amazon.com
Book Description on C/C++ Programmer''s Reference:
Essential programming tips at your fingertips! This handy programmer''s reference provides quick access to syntax, functions, classes, methods, as well as the Standard Template Library (STL). The book covers ANSI/ISO Standard C and C++, including the new C99 standard
As you can see, you''ll already have STL in that book
quote: Original post by Amazon.com
Book Description on The C++ Programming Language Special Edition
:
In this brand-new third edition of The C++ Programming Language, author Bjarne Stroustrup, the creator of C++, presents the full specification for the C++ language and standard library, a spec that will soon become the joint ISO/ANSI C++ standard.
And so does this one
The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference is 832pages long!! daamn!!.... I''m holding a GREAT book according to me. It''s called STL for C++ programmers, it''s only 226 pages. And trust me, bigger ISN''T better for most books! But.. ehm... I borrowed it from the library. According to Amazon.com, it''s $20 more expensive than your book!! *damn* So you might be better of with that one
My conclusion: Start of with ONE C++ book. If you buy alot at the same time you''ll end up with so many books you''ll drown in them and loose the motivation
C/C++ Programmer''s Referencegot a slightly higher point (4,5stars) than The C++ Programming Language (4stars). THEN buy the next one. It seems like a wast of money (and bookshelf space) to buy a STL book, when both of the others contain STL.
GOOD LUCK! And please post here your comments on the books!
}+TITANIUM+{
The C++ Programming Language by Bjarne Stroustrup is essential, you are an idiot if you don''t get it. It doesn''t have that much on the standard library, just the very basics. You really need a book on the standard library (not just STL). I have the one you are thinking of getting and I like it, though if there is a better one go for that (but as far as I know it is the best, so get it).
Books on my shelves, potentially relevant to game programming:
- C++ core reference :
The C++ Programming Language 3rd ed, Stroustrup, A-W
C/C++ Programmer''s reference 2nd ed, Schildt, Osborne
The C++ Standard Library, Josuttis, A-W
STL Tutorial & Reference Guide, Musser & Salini, A-W
Of these four, I strongly recommend the first three. Stroustrup as a pure language reference, Schildt for the C/C++ library, Josuttis for the STL.
- C++ programming techniques:
Effective C++ 2nd ed, Meyers, A-W
More Effective C++, Meyers, A-W
Effective STL, Meyers, A-W
Modern C++ Design, Alexandrescu, A-W
The Meyers books are EXCELLENT. They answer a lot of FAQ and points to a lot of ''gotchas'' about C++ programming. (No, I do not get kickbacks from Addison-Wesley
)
- Networking
UNIX Network Programming (Volume 1), Stevens, Prentice Hall
The Pocket Guide to TCP/IP Sockets, Donahoo/Calvert, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers.
My advice here would be to get the pocket guide. It''s enough to get you started.
- General programming
Design Patterns, GoF, A-W
Pthreads programming, Nichols/Buttlar/Farrel, ORA
Multi-Threaded Programming in C++, Walmsley, Springer Verlag
Numerical Recipes in C, Press/Teukolsky/Vetterling/Flannery, Cambridge (available online @ www.nr.com )
Introduction to algorithms, Cormen/Leiserson/Rivest, (ed?)
Lex&Yacc, Levine/Mason/Brown, ORA
Advanced Unix Programming, Gay, SAMS
Design Patterns is a must buy, ''nuff said. Numerical recipes can be useful, at times. Use the online version. The big white book on algorithms is THE algorithms textbook. Though you won''t need it in most circumstances (the STL already implements most of what you may need. Another reason to know what''s in there, and how to use it.)
- Graphics
OpenGL Programming Guide 3rd ed, OpenGL ARB, A-W
OpenGL Reference Manual 3rd ed, OpenGL ARB, A-W
Computer Graphics Principles and Practice, Foley/Van DAm/Feiner/Hughes, A-W
I know, the OpenGL books are available online, but it is MUCH more convenient to have the books : they do not take space on your screen, you can take them away from your computer (say, in your bed). The CG book is good if you need to learn the math behind the transformations, the colors ...
- "Explicitely" Game programming
Game programming gems, Ed by Mark Deloura, CRM
Game programming gems 2, Ed by Mark Deloura, CRM
3D Game Engine Design, Eberly, Morgan Kofmann Publishers
The gems books are very interesting technically, but you may not
find an actual application to what''s inside. I''ve been a bit
disappointed by the engine design book.
- A bunch of math, physics, image processing and comp. sci. textbooks... but that''s less applicable.
Another set of books you may want to check out are the 5 volumes of the graphics gems. All your graphics algorithms needs will be fullfilled.
Of course, books are expensive, but if you''re serious about it, what you learn in them is invaluable.
If you have questions on any given book, feel free to ask.
- C++ core reference :
The C++ Programming Language 3rd ed, Stroustrup, A-W
C/C++ Programmer''s reference 2nd ed, Schildt, Osborne
The C++ Standard Library, Josuttis, A-W
STL Tutorial & Reference Guide, Musser & Salini, A-W
Of these four, I strongly recommend the first three. Stroustrup as a pure language reference, Schildt for the C/C++ library, Josuttis for the STL.
- C++ programming techniques:
Effective C++ 2nd ed, Meyers, A-W
More Effective C++, Meyers, A-W
Effective STL, Meyers, A-W
Modern C++ Design, Alexandrescu, A-W
The Meyers books are EXCELLENT. They answer a lot of FAQ and points to a lot of ''gotchas'' about C++ programming. (No, I do not get kickbacks from Addison-Wesley
)- Networking
UNIX Network Programming (Volume 1), Stevens, Prentice Hall
The Pocket Guide to TCP/IP Sockets, Donahoo/Calvert, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers.
My advice here would be to get the pocket guide. It''s enough to get you started.
- General programming
Design Patterns, GoF, A-W
Pthreads programming, Nichols/Buttlar/Farrel, ORA
Multi-Threaded Programming in C++, Walmsley, Springer Verlag
Numerical Recipes in C, Press/Teukolsky/Vetterling/Flannery, Cambridge (available online @ www.nr.com )
Introduction to algorithms, Cormen/Leiserson/Rivest, (ed?)
Lex&Yacc, Levine/Mason/Brown, ORA
Advanced Unix Programming, Gay, SAMS
Design Patterns is a must buy, ''nuff said. Numerical recipes can be useful, at times. Use the online version. The big white book on algorithms is THE algorithms textbook. Though you won''t need it in most circumstances (the STL already implements most of what you may need. Another reason to know what''s in there, and how to use it.)
- Graphics
OpenGL Programming Guide 3rd ed, OpenGL ARB, A-W
OpenGL Reference Manual 3rd ed, OpenGL ARB, A-W
Computer Graphics Principles and Practice, Foley/Van DAm/Feiner/Hughes, A-W
I know, the OpenGL books are available online, but it is MUCH more convenient to have the books : they do not take space on your screen, you can take them away from your computer (say, in your bed). The CG book is good if you need to learn the math behind the transformations, the colors ...
- "Explicitely" Game programming
Game programming gems, Ed by Mark Deloura, CRM
Game programming gems 2, Ed by Mark Deloura, CRM
3D Game Engine Design, Eberly, Morgan Kofmann Publishers
The gems books are very interesting technically, but you may not
find an actual application to what''s inside. I''ve been a bit
disappointed by the engine design book.
- A bunch of math, physics, image processing and comp. sci. textbooks... but that''s less applicable.
Another set of books you may want to check out are the 5 volumes of the graphics gems. All your graphics algorithms needs will be fullfilled.
Of course, books are expensive, but if you''re serious about it, what you learn in them is invaluable.
If you have questions on any given book, feel free to ask.
Author
Woew, thnx for all the replies, looks like I''ll be taking my list for now then.
But damnit fruny, how about just learning something with only documentation, I aint rich enough for all of those, though if I was, heh, screw documentation =) , but I aint =(
and seriema, I buy all these books at once cuz, #1. The first 2 are just for reference/some adavanced topics. #2. That STL book is supposed to be great tutrial AND great reference with very good topic coverage. #3. The 3D game programming will keep me motivated as anything on DX or OGL sorta turns me off.... I mean I want to know more about the working of everything, I don''t just wanna jump in as I tried 2 years ago with C/C++. #4. Shipping is free over $99, otherwise I would buy the 2C++''s then the 2 other ones later...but hell I really want the 3D programming one as it was just stolen from my librsary the 8th month of 2001 >=( damnit so close....
And at this point I''ve read 5 full C/C++ tutorials/books (tutorials were longer than one of the books), and right now I''m reading, 5 books, 2 of them in depth, it''d be 6 books and 3 in depth but the damn linux book is still on it''s way, as for the non-in depth it''s an HTML book (shit man I had a feeling there was nothing more to this language, but I needed to learn good CSS/java-script/CGI, and the book only covers one of those =/ ) and the 2 others are for school research though I do enjoy them.
And does anyone know of some website that has like it''s own made .pdf tutorials on things like Photoshop and flash 5 and the such, it even has a section for paying members, the url had something to do with either the word tutorials or training, but I really forgot and did not back up the URL, dangit they had a great free HTML book that covered some real CGI, cuz the hell if I''m getting a book for something I''m not even sure if I want to do, that and Java and VB always seem neat to learn, especially since I hear Java is easy after you learn C++.
THnx for all the help, if someone knows of that training/tutorial site''s URL it would really help, I wish I can offer more info, though I do know that all of there PDF files have like ads for their site and other sites.
But damnit fruny, how about just learning something with only documentation, I aint rich enough for all of those, though if I was, heh, screw documentation =) , but I aint =(
and seriema, I buy all these books at once cuz, #1. The first 2 are just for reference/some adavanced topics. #2. That STL book is supposed to be great tutrial AND great reference with very good topic coverage. #3. The 3D game programming will keep me motivated as anything on DX or OGL sorta turns me off.... I mean I want to know more about the working of everything, I don''t just wanna jump in as I tried 2 years ago with C/C++. #4. Shipping is free over $99, otherwise I would buy the 2C++''s then the 2 other ones later...but hell I really want the 3D programming one as it was just stolen from my librsary the 8th month of 2001 >=( damnit so close....
And at this point I''ve read 5 full C/C++ tutorials/books (tutorials were longer than one of the books), and right now I''m reading, 5 books, 2 of them in depth, it''d be 6 books and 3 in depth but the damn linux book is still on it''s way, as for the non-in depth it''s an HTML book (shit man I had a feeling there was nothing more to this language, but I needed to learn good CSS/java-script/CGI, and the book only covers one of those =/ ) and the 2 others are for school research though I do enjoy them.
And does anyone know of some website that has like it''s own made .pdf tutorials on things like Photoshop and flash 5 and the such, it even has a section for paying members, the url had something to do with either the word tutorials or training, but I really forgot and did not back up the URL, dangit they had a great free HTML book that covered some real CGI, cuz the hell if I''m getting a book for something I''m not even sure if I want to do, that and Java and VB always seem neat to learn, especially since I hear Java is easy after you learn C++.
THnx for all the help, if someone knows of that training/tutorial site''s URL it would really help, I wish I can offer more info, though I do know that all of there PDF files have like ads for their site and other sites.
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