Mind Boggling Questions in C++

This is an update of a post that originally appeared on December 13, 2011.

I constantly tell readers they need to view my books as a starting point, rather than the end of their education on a particular subject. This sentiment holds true for C++ All-In-One for Dummies, 4th Edition as it does for all of my books. When you read this book, you get a really good start with C++. By the time you’re finished, you can create some useful applications and you know enough about the Code::Blocks IDE to use it effectively. Fortunately, there are many places online to expand when it comes to C++ and I ran across one of them in an article entitled, Amusing C++. The title, more than anything else, caught my attention. What, after all, could be amusing about C++?

This is one of those sorts of articles I wish I had thought to write myself. The author has a unique perspective about C++ and some of the issues you could face when working with it. More importantly, the article uncovers some interesting compatibility issues between compilers, all the while having fun with the C++ language.

These sorts of mind boggling questions force even professional developers to think about the language and how it works. It may seem as if a language specification is solid, but then you see that there are gaps in how the specification is put together and that there is room in the standards for unique vendor implementations. Working with unique implementations can lead to innovation, but it can also lead to all sorts of compatibility issues when you need to move your application from one product to another.

After you’ve completed reading my book, make sure you continue on with online resources. Of course, the place that you should look first for issues related to this book (and some general interest C++ topics) is the C++ All-in-One for Dummies, 4th Edition category on this blog. It’s a shame that this particular Dummies book doesn’t include the Parts of Tens feature that is found in other Dummies books. However, here are ten places you can look for C++ materials and examples:

Where do you get additional information about C++? What sorts of information do you look for on these sites? Let me know at [email protected].