C++ was first released in 1985, and it was a hard language to learn. That's because it required programmers to master low-level techniques to work with memory. Over the years, C++ has evolved to provide many higher-level techniques that make it much easier to write effective C++ code. But most C++ books haven't evolved with the language.

Now, Murach's top authors have tackled the subject, rethinking the whole approach. So this book takes advantage of the modern techniques to make it easier to learn C++ than ever before. It's organized in a logical way that gets you off to a fast start with a practical subset of today's C++, and then builds out your coding and OOP skills to the professional level. With that foundation in place, it also covers older techniques so you'll be able to maintain the vast amount of legacy code that's out there, as well as work with embedded systems that don't support the newer techniques.

To make all that manageable, this book uses Murach's distinctive "paired-pages" format that programmers find so helpful for both training and reference: Each topic is presented in a 2-page spread, with syntax, coding examples, and bulleted guidelines on the righthand page and extra explanation and perspective on the left.

What's more, this book gives you 50+ realistic program examples to study, as well as practice exercises for hands-on experience. Examples and exercises like these are the key to learning any programming language. But you'll have a hard time finding such effective ones in other books and courses, that deliver the skills ours do.