Re: c++ docs

["David B.Teague" <dbt@cs.wcu.edu>]

On Mon, 31 May 1999, Brad wrote:

> Where are the docs for the c++ libraries?

> More specifically, i have a copy of "C++ How To Program" second edition
> here. It claims that #include <sstream> will allow strings to be
> manipulated as streams. "sstream: No such file or directory" g++ tells me.
> 
> "Ok then, i'll just check the docs" i think to myself. Tried the manpages.
> Tried info. Tried looking in /usr/doc. i couldn't even find anything about
> the c++ string class (which i know i have), much less using them as
> streams! "Hmmm... did i miss a -doc somewhere?". Fired up dselect, and
> couldn't find any c++ docs at all, installed or uninstalled...
> 
> So, does anyone know where the docs are? Or at least how to use something
> like what the book is talking about? 


Unfortunately, there is very little distributed with egcs nor in
the way of actual documentation for either the compiler or the
libraries. 

For STL there is a considerable array of texts. Depending on how
good you are with C++, you could use Glass and Schuchert, The STL
<PRIMER> published by Prentice Hall. This was writted by them for
a two or three days of 8 hour classes. If you already have the STL
details in hand, this is very a good encapsulation of the STL. 

PJ Plauger has several books on STL and on the libraries. He
directed the C++ library part of the standards committee. Most of
his books are published by Prentice Hall. Go to the PH web page
and search for Plauger. 

A book I like, but is old, that I still use extensively is Teale,
C++ IOStreams Library,m the "trout book" from Addison Wesley. That
book is dated, but if you try all the stuff he suggests, you will
find it a gold mine.

If you are a C++ beginner, you should use book like Savitch,
Problem Solving in C++, Addison Wesley, which I had the pleasure
of doing the revision under Prof Savitch's careful guidance. It 
deals with the language and some of the libraries.

Next a beginner in the STL might go to Budd, Data Structrues in 
C++, aslos Addison Wesley.

IF you are reasonably gooa at C++ programming, and intereseted in
the Intel architecture in a micro soft environmnet, use Nelson's
C++ Programmer's Guide form IDG books. 

If you are an advanced C++ programmer, then for STL you could use 
STL Tutorial and Reference Guide, Musser and Saini, Addison
Wesley.

As has been mentioned, Stroustrup, The C++ Programming Language
3rd,  and LIppman and Lajoie, C++ Primer, contain a vast amount of
information. These are Addison Wesley books.

Last but not least is the array of places on the WWW where you can
find vast arrays of documenation and tutorials.

--David
David Teague, dbt@cs.wcu.edu
Debian GNU/Linux Because software support is free, timely,
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		 Hope this qualifies.