[.ca] STL Programming from the Ground Up (ISBN 0078825075)

Very Helpful, Very Approachable Book:
Mr. Schildt writes helpful books. This is not a reference and it is not an encyclopedic treatment of STL programming. STL Programming from the Ground Up is an introduction to STL programming for those who want to come up to speed quickly and who don't care to wrestle with and decypher the cryptic and difficult treatments given by other writers on the subject. The only weakness of the book is that it needs a better index to quickly find the discussion and examples of specific tasks.

Schildt does it again:
As a software professional, one of my pet peeves is the lack of communication skills in my profession. Fortunately, Schildt has a great communication style and makes almost any technical material clear and obvious. This book is no exception. After attempting STL several times before, I finally got it right with this book. I did not have to read every section to get the benefit either. I simply started in the section I needed at the time and was able to get my code up and going quickly. This is the place evryone should start when tackling STL!!

Great book:
Schildt writes books that help programmers get the job done. I first moved from assembly to C programming with the help of his books in the late 80's, and this book continues to show why he's a best selling author. This is not a reference and it is not an in-depth guide to all of STL programming. STL Programming from the Ground Up is an introduction to STL programming for those who want to start working with the STL quickly. If I had do say one negative thing, it's only that I would have preferred more material. I would love to see an expanded version or an 'Advanced STL programming' by Mr. Schildt. Other technical writers could help us all if they studied his writing style.

Good examples, bad index:
I found this book very useful for its tables that list out the various APIs with quick explanations, as well as the examples it gives. For example, it showed how to create a map of strings with the appropriate compare function. However, the index is paltry and pretty much useless. Too bad, because I'd otherwise recommend it. Consider Addison Wesley's STL Tutorial instead.

Excellent book with quality content and is easy to read.:
This book is very easy to read and understand. Herb presents its content in a useful, directed and thoughtful approach that is representative of his ability to communicate clearly and concisely even difficult concepts. I use this book primarily as a reference because I'm always questioning something important about the STL that is a lot harded to dig through with other books. If you buy only one book on the STL, be sure that this is it. I've got nearly every other book on the topic, and feel that this one is best for thumbing or reading for C++ developers at all skill levels.