Reviews for Exceptional C++

1. Must-read intermediate C++ book

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, February 12st, 2007

   There seems to be a bit of confusion about what level this book is at. Based on some of the reviews I've read, I was a bit concerned that much of this book would fly right over my head, exploring advanced and obscure features. So let's get one thing straight: this is pitched at the same level as Effective C++, and has a similar structure and style.
   
   And it's not just a 'puzzle' book - although it does highlight some tricky issues to do with templates and name lookup, which might conceivably appear in an unimaginative job interview.
   
   And it's not just about the language feature of exceptions. All aspects of the language are covered, but the section on exceptions is particularly good.
   
   Nor is it 'advanced' in the sense that many practitioners of C++ would consider, e.g. template metaprogramming, or non-portable hacks that take advantage of memory layout of compilers. Instead this is advice at an intermediate level, assuming you know the syntax and purpose of C++, but exploring their most appropriate use.
   
   The structure of the book does involve a series of posed questions, but they differ wildly in how specific or general they are. You can see them more as a rhetorical device to frame the subsequent discussion, rather than questions you must answer (unless you want to retrospectively crown yourself guru of the week, of course).
   
   Each question is followed by a significant discussion of a particular language feature, and summarised advice and recommended principles. Therefore the book is similar in structure to Effective C++. There is some overlap between the books, although even where similar material is included, there is differences in how much detail is given.
   
   To some extent, this book is a victim of its own success. A lot of the advice given here can now be found in other books. But its legendary status mean that like Effective C++, this is still essential reading as soon as you've graduated from introductory tomes.

2. Fantastic coverage of exception handling

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, January 12th, 2002

   The book is worth the price just for the section on exception handling. Sutter's advice regarding assignment operators is truly unique. Very good indeed.

3. Improve your knowledge and coding

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, March 12th, 2001

   You can't possibly fail to improve your overall standards of c++ development if you read this book. Buy it now and have no regrets, whether or not you would give yourself 1 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 for your level of c++ expertise.

4. Must have for all professional C++ programmers

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, February 12th, 2001

   Not everything in this book is for the experts; I think even relative novices can get a lot out of this book (maybe not for real beginners though) because it shows best practice in "Do's and Don'ts" along with solid programming guidelines. For those more experienced programmers, there are correspondingly more challenging problems (ones that the novices of yesterday should revisit from time to time). Anyone serious about C++ development should read this.

5. Essential for serious C++ developers

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, June 12th, 2000

   This book is not really possible to fault. It contains valuable information not readily available elsewhere, in a highly accessible format. Compulsory reading for any intermediate or better C++ developer. If you're hesitating about whether to buy this book, buy it.

   One trivial note, the typesetting/layout is somewhat of a pain. Note to publishers, elegant understated layout works better than multicoloured boxes with lots of fonts and icons. Not only that, but this type of layout is usually inversely correlated with the quality of the text.