
Effective C++
by Scott Meyers · first published 1991
212mentions
112recommended by
184HN commenters
2007–2026first – last mentioned
61% recommend35% neutral5% critical
Why HN recommends it
Short, numbered guidelines on C++ idioms, pitfalls and performance traps, showing what you are asking the compiler to do. Suits programmers who already write C++ and want to improve; works as a dip-in reference.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Effective C++ has been updated to reflect the latest ANSI/ISO standards. The author, a recognised authority on C++, shows readers fifty ways to improve their programs and designs.
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Effective C++ by Scott Meyers has some good tips. Here are my tips for you. First tip: Don't trust any C++ code that anyone else writes. This is related to Meyers' tip that C++ is a "federation" of languages.…
on “Learning C++ in 2010” ↗Here's a first aid kit for when you shoot yourself in the foot with this quick ref: http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite/ Also grab a copy of effective c++ by scott meyers.
on “From C to C++: A quick reference for aging programmers” ↗I always recommend Effective C++ by Scott Meyers. It does not cover C++11 but is still relevant to anyone wanting to learn the good c++.
on “The Best Programming Language (or How to Stop Worrying and Love the Code)” ↗I found the scott meyers books to be good (effective C++ and effective STL)
on “C++ Grandmaster Certification” ↗…good to go The last paragraph: "What's next?," you may wonder. ... The topmost entry? Stop trying to monitor everything in the world of C++ :-) Sounds like he will dig into Golang. I learnt a lot from Effective C++. Thank you, Scott Meyers.
on “} // good to go” ↗I would like to thank Mr Meyers for his Effective C++ book, back in the 90s. Said book for me was the tipping point with C++. Having used Borland Pascal-with-Objects, and read about Eiffel, that book confirmed for me, at least, that C++ was a tool of…
on “Help me sort out the meaning of “{}” as a constructor argument” ↗Scott Meyers' Effective C++ books are really good for learning the "right way" to code C++. He has a good intro to c++11 and 14 too, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22800553-effective-moder... Don't worry about not taking…
on “C++17 Is Here: Interview with Herb Sutter” ↗…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 [1] - https://www.amazon.com/Effective-Specific-Improve-Programs-D...
on “Ask HN: Whats the best way to learn C++ for Deep learning?” ↗…substantial c++ i've really done is visual with MFC/wxwidgets/activex/opengl, which are all bitches to work with, imo. as for books, i suggest these two: "the c++ programming language" by stroustrup; and "effective c++" by meyers
on “Ask YC: C++” ↗…and C++ are quite similar in some respects. I would say though, that it's easier to go from C++ to Java, than from Java to C++. Best C++ books: Accelerated C++ by Andrew Koenig and Barbara E. Moo Effective C++ by Scott Meyers (make sure you get the 3rd edition) Best Java books: Effective Java by Joshua Bloch Java Concurrency in Practice by Brian Goetz, Tim Peierls, Joshua Bloch, and Joseph Bowbeer If…
on “If you had a choice, which would it be: C++ or Java?” ↗I think Effective C++ by Scott Meyers[1] is the gold standard when it comes to books on writing good clean C++. It assumes that you already know the basic syntax though and already know how to program. This allow him to…
on “ISO C++11 Published” ↗…courses/certifications are you thinking of? When I was trying to improve my C skills, I worked on some projects with other people so we can learn from each other while staying motivated. I would also recommend the Effective C++ books by Scott Meyers if you haven't read them already.
on “Ask HN: Continous growth as a C++ developer” ↗This SO thread has a good overview of the books out there: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/388242/the-definitive-c-b... I'd recommend "C++ Primer" first, "Effective C++" second, and "The C++ Programming Language" as a reference. Other must haves are "Modern C++ Design", the other Scott Meyers books, and the Herb Sutter books.
on “Proxygen, Facebook's C++ HTTP Framework” ↗It's not exactly the same, but the closest thing to a "C++: The Good Parts" is Scott Meyers' "Effective C++", imho.
on “Why not C++?” ↗…Library, Nicolai Josuttis, - C++ GUI Programming with Qt 4, Jasmin Blanchette and Mark Summerfield - The C++ Programming Language, Bjarne Stroustrup - Effective Java, Joshua Bloch - Scott Meyers' Effective C++ books.
on “Ask HN: What books do you keep on your desk?” ↗