Boutique C++

This year I’ve enjoyed two excellent C++ books: C++ Move Semantics – The Complete Guide, by Nico Josuttis, and C++ Lambda Story, by Bartłomiej Filipek, both members of the C++ Standards Committee.

Updated on July 19, 2021
For a printed copy of C++ Lambda Story on Amazon, USA, click one of the following links:
C++ Lambda Story (in black and white)
C++ Lambda Story (in full color)

Updated on September 9, 2020
For a printed copy of C++ Move Semantics – The Complete Guide on Amazon, USA, click the following link: C++ Move Semantics – The Complete Guide

After reading each of the books–and like pulp fiction novels, were written in installments–I had this feeling of having enjoyed the books very much, and learned so much in the process, and kept wondering why that was.

The reason, as I describe it, is a boutique approach to writing. That is, focus on one topic, and exhaust the topic to the end. I live in an area in Southern California rich in vineyards, and it is common to find boutique wineries that specialize in one specific kind of grape or wine, and couldn’t help but compare the approach that both Nico and Bartek have taken.

Sure, who hasn’t heard or learned about move semantics, with the original proposal here–and initial attempts with Andrei Alexandrescu’s Mojo library way back when. I go back to a white paper/blog post by Stephan T. Lavavej many, many moons ago, or the sessions about lambdas by Herb Sutter in the Microsoft Build conferences, and of course, paying homage to Scott Meyers Effective Modern C++ and universal references.

One problem, as I see it, is that often times you don’t have time to keep up with the new and evolving language features. Living in a polyglot world, you have to pick up different tools for the job, from C++ to Python to Java to Go to TypeScript to…you get the idea. Furthermore, although new features are great, by the time you get to them, well, a new Standard is out. I bet that the next CPPCON will be talking about C++23. Just get that feeling.

If you’re like me, you read maybe a couple of books during a given year–and I mean read, as in end to end. The challenge that I have is always the time available for such activity. Alas, there’s a family to attend to, and weekends I own the kitchen. So, what do you pick? I like the King Kong size references that I trust and I can always go back to, munching on them a little at a time, but I found myself going back to these books for more. The reason? They’re filled with details, examples that you can whip up in a few seconds or in a few minutes, and quality material. It is easier on the author, too, because she/he can concentrate on a specific topic.

So saying that, and hoping to encourage more authors, if I had my druthers, I’d like to see a boutique book on:

• Concepts (and type traits in the process)
• Coroutines

Any takers?

And yes, se habla C++.