Which STL reference book would recommend?

Question

I am considering to put one of the following as a reference on my desk (as I am sick and tired to google every time I have a STL question):

• The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference

• STL Tutorial and Reference Guide: C++ Programming with the Standard Template Library

• Generic Programming and the STL: Using and Extending the C++ Standard Template Library

• Using the STL: The C++ Standard Template Library (why is this guy so overpriced -- $110?)

Answer 1

I only have Josuttis's book The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference, so I can't provide a comparison, but that book is very good, so I don't think you'd go wrong if you picked that. Also note that Josuttis covers the whole standard library whereas the other books seem to be only about the STL; that was the reason I got that book because I also wanted to understand things like I/O, which is not part of the STL.

Answer 2

The Josuttis book has been very useful to me, but most of the time I head straight for the companion web site.

Answer 3

All of Scott Meyers' books are excellent, including "Effective STL". It's not a handbook or a tutorial, but worth having.

Answer 4

I would go with the first - Josuttis' The C++ Standard Lib: Tutorial and Reference for the depth. I like to keep O'Reilly's STL Pocket Reference around for quick lookups.

Answer 5

I read The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference, and found it extremely useful. I was already a "very advanced" C++ programmer before I read it, and I didn't feel like I was wasting my time reading through lots of beginner material.

Answer 6

If all you need is a reference reference, like what are the functions etc. you can try the SGI STL reference documentation. Granted, it's not a book, and it is a bit dated, but it's fairly well done, and has good documentation of concepts etc.

Just my two cents!

SGI STL Documentation