
A Tour of C++
by Bjarne Stroustrup · first published 2013
150mentions
65recommended by
93HN commenters
2013–2026first – last mentioned
70% recommend28% neutral2% critical
Why HN recommends it
Short, quick-read overview of modern C++ that covers the main features without going too deep. Suits experienced programmers returning to C++ or wanting a current primer, much like K&R for C.
Common criticism: Terse and condensed; some doubt a newcomer could learn C++ from it alone
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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- Tour of C++ (http://www.stroustrup.com/Tour.html) - Principles and Practice Using C++ (http://www.stroustrup.com/programming.html) - From Mathematics to Generic Programming (http://www.fm2gp.com/) - The Scott…
on “Ask HN: Best way to learn modern C++?” ↗Stroustrup's "A Tour of C++" is a great overview of C++11 and modern C++. It's not very long and worth a read to see what's new in the C++ world. The audience is aimed at people who already know C++ but want to know what's new…
on “Ask HN: What's the best programming book you've read recently?” ↗C++ - "A tour of C++" http://www.amazon.com/Tour-C--Depth/dp/0321958314 I read this book after having programmed C++ with the common "C++ is C with classes" attitude for a while, and it really made me change the way I…
on “Ask HN: What are the latest and greatest books on your favorite language?” ↗I've been in the same boat--relearning C++ after using C++98(!) for a long time. My first go-to book was _A Tour of C++_ , 2e by Stroustrup. Also _Effective Modern C++_ by Scott Meyers (of _Effective C++_ fame). Other books I've been reading: _C++ 17 The Complete Guide_ by Josuttis _C++ 17 in Detail_ by Filipek Lots…
on “I learnt C++ in 2018 and have no regrets” ↗For some videos I would recommend Going Native videos (http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/GoingNative/2013) Also there is The tour of C++ (http://www.stroustrup.com/Tour.html) which offer a fresh start to the language. But the one book I am waiting for is Effective C++ 11/14 which should coming up next year.
on “Clang is now feature complete for C++14” ↗You're asking more specific questions that what I will cover, and they're good ones. It will be interesting to read how others reply. For the other people looking, Stroustrup's A Tour of C++ [0] is the guide for getting quickly up to date with the "new C++", C++11 and onwards. It doesn't specifically cover C++14, but if you understand C++11, the few things coming in C++14 are for the most…
on “Ask HN: jumping back into C++ after 4 years, what did I miss?” ↗Herb Sutter, one of the most prolific C++ experts out there, recently gave a talk on Modern C++ [1]. In the beginning of his talk, he states that every C++ developer should read a "Tour of C++" [2] by Bjarne Stroustrup, the original designer of C++. I recently read it and it's great. The book has less than 200p, but still covers the most important parts of C++11, albeit not in great detail…
on “Ask HN: How to refresh on modern features of C++?” ↗I would also add Effective STL too. A Tour of C++ by B. Stroustrup is a good start point for a beginner too
on “Doom3 is the proof that “keep it simple” works” ↗I'm not sure how C++ for DL is different from regular C++ so take my advice with a grain of salt. I took a class under Bjarne Stroustrup and he highly recommended Tour of C++ [0] as the best way to learn modern C++ for someone who already has some programming experience. That and of course, Effective C++[1] by Scott Meyers. [0] - https://www.amazon.com/Tour-C-Depth/dp/0321958314…
on “Ask HN: Whats the best way to learn C++ for Deep learning?” ↗'A tour of C++' by Stroustrup is a good overview of modern C++. I recently got back into C++ after big hiatus, just like you, and for me the things that changed are: - definitely the things you mentioned: much…
on “Ask HN: Ressources to update old C++ skills” ↗Bjarne Stroustrup's "A Tour of C++" (http://www.stroustrup.com/Tour.html) is close. It's a slim volume that is roughly a survey of the language as if it had begun with C++11.
on “Compiling a Functional Language Using C++, Part 9 – Garbage Collection” ↗…broadly familiar with C++. There's more stuff in C++17 and 20, but the really jarring additions like move semantics were standardized earlier and therefore covered in the book. Bjarne Stroustrup's "A Tour of C++" (2018) is also frequently recommended.
on “C++ the Good Parts (2014)” ↗There’s a short book by Stroustrup called “a tour of C++” that shows you the essentials. Get the 2018 edition. Then read some code and write some code. Don’t worry about efficiency. You can read the “core guidelines” as well which are quite useful, but…
on “The Sad Truth About C++ Copy Elision” ↗I would start with Stroustrup's A Tour of C++.
on “Ask HN: Best path/resource to learn modern C++ in 2022?” ↗I would agree. Although my work involves writing some code under VS2010 on Windows so I can't use C++11 features, I still read Stroustrup's book. The tour of C++ is particularly helpful as it covers many of the new features, and offers tips like making the compiler work for you. Stroustrup wrote an interesting paper (wish I could find it) in IEEE/Computer magazine…
on “Obscure C++ Features” ↗