I have used the second edition of C++ Primer for several years and looked forward to reviewing the third edition, which has been updated to reflect the final draft ISO standard (effectively doubling its size).

The first two chapters present an outline of program structure, operators, control structures, I/O, namespaces, classes, templates, exception handling and STL support for OO concepts. This is very concise, fast moving and presents some quite advanced concepts; the assumption being that the reader already has some experience with a procedural programming language. Chapters three to six cover language basics (types, expressions, statements) placing particular emphasis on the support provided by the STL (complex numbers, strings, stacks, lists, vectors, etc.). Chapter seven to twelve cover procedural programming (functions, overloading, templates, generic algorithms) with chapters seventeen to twenty covering OO programming (implementing classes, inheritance, RTTI, etc.).

This is a very good introductory text suitable for a reader with some experience of procedural programming (C, Pascal, Modula 2, etc.) or OO programming. It is fast moving, packed with plenty of example programs and clear detailed explanations. The early use of STL facilities allow the use of powerful tools before having to understand implementation details. I liked coverage of procedural programming techniques followed by OO. This enables readers to use and appreciate objects without having to plunge into the implementation details of classes. I am aware many OO enthusiasts disagree with such an approach saying that one should be implementing classes from day one (even before you know how to write expressions and implement functions?). It covers advanced topics in detail and is therefore also suitable for the professional programmer. Highly recommended!