Thursday, March 19, 2020

Top 5 C++ Programming Books - Must Read, Best of Lot

Hello guys, I have started my programming career with C and C++ before learning Java, and it's been more than 11 years since I am using C++, though not as often as Java, which becomes my primary skill, my C++ knowledge has helped me to work on projects where both C++ and Java is used. Often time, I am rusty with C++ with very less coding, but whenever I have to refresh my knowledge, I have the right books to do so. I have used C++ on both professional and personal projects and mostly use a GCC compiler. If you ask me which one is tough to learn, C++ or Java? I would say C++? It's even difficult to master, and you cannot master it unless your coding C++ daily.

That's why it's also very important to choose the right books to learn from C++ from the start, but oftentimes it's difficult given so many C++ books are available in the market. In this article, I'll share 5 books which I think is good for both beginners and intermediate C++ programmers.

I consider myself in between a beginner and intermediate C++ programmer, as I actually code C++, use libraries from the Boost project, which is like JDK, but offer more algorithms than Collection framework.

By using Boost and STL, you feel like coding in Java because you don't need to reimplement common functionalities like sockets, collections, serialization, etc. So, I have also included the C++ book which explains about STL and Boost, two essential libraries for any professional C++ developer.

If you are a visual and active learner like me then you can also combine these books with an online course like  Beginning C++ Programming - From Beginner to Beyond, which covers everything you need to know about CPP and also provides a more active and visual learning experience.  This combination of a book and course works well to learn something new in a quick time.


5 Best Books to learn  C++ Programming in depth

Without wasting any more of your time, here is my list of best books you can read to learn C++ in-depth and become a better developer. There is a huge demand for skilled C++ developer and in the world of Python and JavaScript, there are not many C++ developers who understand their trade.

 By learning C++, you not only increase your value as a programmer but also become a better developer as C++ enforces some discipline in your coding. You can't get away with memory leaks so you are bound to write code that takes care of that.


1. The C++ Programming Language 4th Edition

This is the book from Bjarne Stroustrup, the creator of C++. It's one of the classic books and also the most recommended one. The fourth edition of the book is updated to cover the C++11 standard. It has a lot more net content from the previous edition and well organized into smaller chapters.

It's an essential book if you want to replace boost libraries with the new standard library. In short, a great book to learn C++ and keep referring to it again and again. I have an even special edition of this book in my self and time and time I refer to it. It also teaches a lot of things about good programming than just C++

I also recommend you to combine this with a more latest course like C++ Fundamentals including C++17 by Kate Gregory on Pluralsight to learn new features introduced in C++ 17 and other modern concepts.

best book to learn C++



2. Effective C++ and More Effective C++

I read Effective C++ by Scott Meyers after reading Effective Java by Joshua Bloch. As the name suggests, the book aims you to teach you the right and effective way to use C++. This was written with the aim of being the second-best C++ programming book and it right up there.

This is a great book for all programmers coming from different backgrounds learning C++  like programmers coming from C and programmers coming from Java.

The 3rd edition of Effective C++ contains 55 easy to improve your C++ program and design. This also helps to understand C++ better. In short, one of the must-read C++ book for experienced C++ developer.

Top  C++ books for experienced programmers



3. Beyond the C++ Standard Library: An Introduction to Boost

Even though now C++ standard library has improved a lot in C++1, Boost is still the most used C++ library in both professional and personal projects. This book gives a good description of base Boost libraries. http://www.boost.org/.

This book is mainly for intermediate and experienced C++ programmers as it explains not only how to use boost library but also why you should use these libraries. As a professional C++ developer, it's imperative to learn and get familiar with the Boost library, and there is no better book to do that than this one.

You can also combine this book with the Learn Advanced C++ Programming course by John Purcell in Udemy. This course not only covers the C++ STL library but also introduces modern C++ concepts introduced in C++ 11 like Lambda expression.

best book to learn C++ for experienced programmers



4. Effective Modern C++

This is another gem from Scott Mayor, the most effective C++ author. This is basically the new version of Effective C++ to help C++ programmers upgrading themselves from C++03 to C++11 and C++14. I strongly suggest reading Effective Moder C++ along with Effective C++ to learn C++ better.

If you need a course, you can also check out the C++ Standard Library including C++ 14 & C++ 17 course by Rainer Grimm on Educative for some interactive learning experience.

best CPP book to become expert



5. C++ Template Metaprogramming

This is one of the best C++ books from the C++ In-Depth Series. This book is about metaprogramming in C++, based on the Boost Metaprogramming Library. The first part of the book explains the basics of template programming and describes the boost MPL library quite well.

It has a lot of examples to walk you through concepts, and it also explains metaprogramming, which many C++ programmers are not aware of. It's not a beginner book but rather a good one for expert C++ programmers.

If you need a course on C++ Template, I recommend the Beginner C++ Template course on Udemy. It's a free course which means you don't need to pay anything but you will learn a lot.

best book to learn Template programming in C++



That's all about the top 5 C++ programming books, which I think are best of the lot and must-read for any C++ programmer who wants to master the language and its library. I have a huge collection of C++ books, though many of them are just touched or skimmed, not read, but I have found a new love for C++ in recent weeks and will be writing more about C++ in coming articles. If you know any good C++ book, which I should read, feel free to suggest.


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P. S. - While these books are very good and perfect to learn C++ but if its getting tougher for you then I also suggest you to join a course like Beginning C++ Programming - From Beginner to Beyond, which covers everything you need to know about CPP and provides a more active and visual learning experience.

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