Designing and Coding Reusable C++

Rating:
Summary: Mediocre
Review: Although the authors are clearly competent, there's not much here. Most of the material is not specific to library writing, but rather generic C++ advice, and not all that well done. Many points lack proper explanation. Examples are contrived. Read Scott Meyers instead.

Rating:
Summary: Read this if reuse is important to you.
Review: I found the entire book worthwhile and hope for a new edition now that C++ is an international standard. Code reuse is easier with good documentation. One chapter contains important advice for documenting the design and interface to classes. An example (or even a reference to) a good class "design paper", tutorial, and class reference would be a great addition.

Rating:
Summary: Solid Advice for Library Designers
Review: In view of the fact that a previous reviewer recommended reading Scott Meyers instead of this book, I thought you might like to see what Scott Meyers has to say about Designing and Coding Reusable C++. Simply put, the book is on my short list of recommended reading for C++ programmers. I describe things this way in my More Effective C++: "If you have anything to do with the design and implementation of C++ libraries, you would be foolhardy to overlook Designing and Coding Reusable C++. Carroll and Ellis discuss many practical aspects of library design and implementation that are simply ignored by everybody else. Good libraries are small, fast, extensible, easily upgraded, graceful during template instantiation, powerful, and robust. It is not possible to optimize for each of these attributes, so one must make trade-offs that improve some aspects of a library at the expense of others. Designing and Coding Reusable C++ examines these trade-offs and offers down-to-earth advice on how to go about making them."