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Reading list and tips: C++

Are you looking for some extra inspiration during these last summer days? Our expert in C++ Lőrinc Balog has gathered his best reading tips for those who would like to know more about C++, including books, blogs, and video channels.

C++ is famous for being one of the most powerful and complicated programming languages at the same time. Many game engines, enterprise back-end programs, and mobile/desktop apps are built using the C++ programming language. Some of the examples of famous C++ software can include Adobe Systems, Amazon, Paypal, Chrome, and even some parts of Facebook. However, if the majority of dynamic languages are straightforward and easy to get started with, C++ can be quite tricky for programming enthusiasts, who are just about to start mastering this new language.

If you are a keen programmer but haven’t worked with C++ yet, the book A Tour of C++ (C++ In-Depth Series) by Bjarne Stroustrup (Amazon) would be a great way to start.

For more experienced C++ fellows, I would recommend the following books (Scott Meyers’ every word is precious for a C++ developer):

  • Effective C++: 55 Specific Ways to Improve Your Programs and Designs (3rd Edition) by Scott Meyers (Amazon)
  • More Effective C++: 35 New Ways to Improve Your Programs and Designs 1st Edition by Scott Meyers (Amazon)
  • Effective STL: 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your Use of the Standard Template Library 1st Edition by Scott Meyers (Amazon)
  • Effective Modern C++: 42 Specific Ways to Improve Your Use of C++11 and C++14 1st Edition by Scott Meyers (Amazon)
  • C++ Coding Standards: 101 Rules, Guidelines, and Best Practices 1st Edition by Herb Sutter (Amazon)

If you are already a confident C++ programmer, you can brush up your skills with the following books:

  • Modern C++ Design: Generic Programming and Design Patterns Applied 1st Edition by Andrei Alexandrescu (Amazon)
  • C++ Templates: The Complete Guide (2nd Edition) by David Vandevoorde (Amazon)
  • C++ Concurrency in Action: Practical Multithreading by Anthony Williams (Amazon)

With this said, I cannot miss the main book of C++: The C++ Programming Language, 4th Edition by Bjarne Stroustrup (Amazon).

For some further reading and education, I would recommend the Preshing on Programming blog and www.stroustrup.com.

CppCon and BoostCon are some of the largest conferences on C++ and the organizers regularly publish rather interesting lectures on their YouTube channels that are a great food for thought as well.

On a final note, I hope that some of those tips have been useful for you. For those who are seriously into C++, there won’t be too many new things, but all these resources are useful and essential when you are on the journey of mastering C++. It is worth mentioning that C++ is going through changes right now, however, the earlier books can be still helpful in learning.

Would you like to join a like-minded team of C++ enthusiasts? Welcome to the team, see our open positions at sigmatechnology.com.