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246

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8

I need a good C++ tutorial aimed at sameone who once programmed in C++ (although not extensively) but didn't use it much in last couple of years.

It should be:

  • Short and clear
  • Have short introduction to basic concepts
  • Have an overview of new developments in C++ and best practices

Note that I don't need a programming concepts introduction, since I've been programming for more then 10 years, and don't need explanations of for loop and OO designe principles.

+13  A: 

Try reading through C++ FAQ Lite. If you find it helpful, buy the book, which is longer and more in depth. In general, each section starts with questions that tell you what particular c++ concept is for and when/how to use it. Then it goes on to offer a mix of best practices and gotchas.

Brian
+8  A: 

Depending on what you did with C++ in your past life, you may effectively be starting from scratch. I was in a situation of having used C++ for about 2 years back in 2000 and then having to relearn it and teach it to someone else just recently.

I basically started over with popular C++ books and skimmed the first couple chapters, then read the later chapters more extensively. I refreshed myself on Effective C++, More Effective C++, the Standard Template Library, Effective STL, and a few others.

In addition, I read up on the capabilities of Boost and the related concepts used by the more commonly used pieces (compostion vs inheritance, templates, RAII, etc).

Personally, I don't think a "tutorial" is going to do much good if you never mastered the language to begin with. My previous knowledge of C++ didn't help me a whole lot and the only reason why I was able to find many of the newer concepts quickly is I had coworkers who liked to debate the pros and cons of C++ vs younger languages.

I would approach relearning C++ as if you were learning it again for the first time. The syntax might be "familiar", but there are a lot of nuances to the language and best-practices that are hard to learn from a quick tutorial.

A few references, off the top of my head, I found to be useful in "relearning" C++:

James Schek
+3  A: 

I don't know about the "short and clear" tutorial, but I would recommend Scott Meyers' "Effective C++" (3rd edition) as something you should read in addition.

sellibitze
+2  A: 

While it doesn't necessarily fit all of your criteria, I have to recommend Effective C++ by Scott Meyers.

Skinniest Man
+1  A: 

A related question, Best C++ Resource, lists some great tutorials. Many of which I would consider good for somebody who has programming knowledge but not current C++ skills.

Of these my favorite would be the C++ Language Tutorial. However, I would recommend looking through the awesome list of the mentioned related question.

Scott Saad
+2  A: 

A good tutorial here:

http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/

The 2nd part of the tutorial dealing with OOP and Advanced Concepts such as template and namespace should provide a good refresher to c++.

Yada
+2  A: 

I know you asked for a tutorial and not a book, but I really think Alexandrescu's "Modern C++ Design" would be a great way to re-enter serious C++ development for someone who already has a basic understanding of the language. Work your way through that book, and then you'll find that the Boost libraries suddenly seem more brilliant than ever before, and you'll learn a new and profound hatred for MFC.

Ben Collins
+2  A: 

Dick Baldwin has written some excellent online tutorials for a variety of languages, including C++ and Java. His site is at http://www.dickbaldwin.com/toc.htm.

Brian Showalter