C++ guidance

[Josu]

Hi people.

I need some suggestions/guidance regarding C++.Well, first of all, I'd like to write a couple of lines about my background and my current situation: I studied math in Spain ( 5 years of uni in Spain, more years than other countries ) and right after that I worked for an english bank branch on my country ( Barclays Bank), in risk department, for a year and a half. Then I decided I wanted to study a little bit more in order to change into a more quantitative area (as a branch, we didn't do big things, everything was done in London ) so in october I will start my Quantitative Finance Master program, which is sponsored by Banco Santander, biggest entity here around. ( I'll write the review in Quantnet as well)

Ok, now my question: I picked W.Savitch's popular "Problem solving with C++" from the Master Reading List, and right now I'm about to finish "Accelerated C++" (encouraged by amazon''s good reviews).I didn¡t have any C++ expure before that.
I'd like to start reading some finance applied C++ book, and I have 2 on mind to start with: Duffy's "Introduction to C++ for financial engineers" and Joshi's Design pattern , though I'm not sure if I should learn more C++ instead ( such as Effective C++, by Meyer) in order to appreciate and fully understand Duffy's and Joshi's .

Do u guys think those 2 books mentioned would be accessible for someone like me? (Have to say I feel pretty comfortable with concepts explained by Savitch, and Accelerated C++)

Any other suggestion or recommendation you could make would be so much appreciated. There are so many books with similar topic that sometimes is difficult to "trace" a learning path, from the most basic to the most demanding.

thanks!!

 

[Andy Nguyen]

I don't think you should jump right into the specialist C++ books yet. If I were to to study C++ again, I would start with Savitch, Meyers, and a few more books in advanced topics. The more foundation I have, the better I can grasp concepts in applications books.

 

[Lyosha]

Whether or not you should delve into those books really depends on how "quick on your feet" you are with your programming.

If you "get it" (so to say), then, personally, I find most non-specialist books slow, boring and constantly find myself just looking at the bits of code for syntax examples because the books themselves just don't move fast enough for me (you can only learn what an integer is so many times over...same goes for a for loop...). If this is you, I would suggest you try to aggressively learn new material using the old as a reference for things you may have forgotten or overlooked.

If that is not you - take all the time you feel you need, and get help from someone else for the parts you don't understand - having someone understand what it is you are not quite getting is invaluable to you finally making the connection you are not getting.

Ironically the best way to find out is just to try. If you understand everything, great! If you find yourself confused, perhaps you rushed things and should take a step back, but no harm done in either case.

 

[DominiConnor]

Both books should be within your understanding.

However, C++ is an applied craft, how much code are you writing ?

 

[Josu]

Thanks for the answers.

Well, I'm doing all the exercises I find most challenging from each chapter, those in which you have to combine everything you know, not just the theory of the chapter itself.
I agree with Alexei regarding how slow programming books could seem sometimes, so I think I'll try with those specialist books, and I will complement them at same time with some beginner/intermediate non-specialist book.
I've read very good reviews about Meyer's " Effective C++". Is there any other I should be taking into account at similar level?
And between Duffy's and Joshi's, which one do you think should be read first?

 

[sjain]

Thanks for the answers.

Well, I'm doing all the exercises I find most challenging from each chapter, those in which you have to combine everything you know, not just the theory of the chapter itself.
I agree with Alexei regarding how slow programming books could seem sometimes, so I think I'll try with those specialist books, and I will complement them at same time with some beginner/intermediate non-specialist book.
I've read very good reviews about Meyer's " Effective C++". Is there any other I should be taking into account at similar level?
And between Duffy's and Joshi's, which one do you think should be read first?

I wouldn't recommend Meyer's books until you have some programming (esp OOP) experience. Only then you can truly appreciate and understand his book. I would say if you don't program at work/school, then take up a small project (may be open source?) and try and get some working experience under your belt.