A C++ Tool Kit

Less than one quarter of one percent of the code written today is used more than once. Even when a second program requires the same tool as the first, programmers rewrite the tool rather that reuse it. One of the greatest strengths of the C++ language is its ability to build reusable components and this book is about building reusable components in C++. "A C++ Toolkit" is divided into three sections. The first section provides an introduction to C++, covering the new features of the language and emphasing the difference between C++ and C. The second section turns to the construction of some small, practical classes that teach effective use of the C++ class mechanism. The third section develops a number of more complicated generic classes. Each tool is presented in graded steps, with discussion of the motivations for each design decision along the way. The chapters close with exercises intended to increase the reader's understanding of the C++ language and the construction of reusable tools. The book concludes with complete listings of the final forms for each tool intended to enable readers to implement these tools in their own projects.