Book excerpt: The inventor of C++ presents the definitive insider's guide to the design and development of the C++ programming language. Without ommitting critical details or getting bogged down in technicalities, Stroustrup presents his unique insights into the decisions that shaped C++. Every C++ programmer will benefit from Stroustrup's explanations of the 'why's' behind C++ from the earliest features, such as the original class concept, to the latest extensions, such as new casts and explicit template instantiation. Some C++ design decisions have been universally praised, while others remain controversial, and debated vigorously; still other features have been rejected based on experimentation. In this book, Stroustrup dissects many of these decisions to present a case study in "real object- oriented language development" for the working programmer. In doing so, he presents his views on programming and design in a concrete and useful way that makes this book a must-buy for every C++ programmer. Features Written by the inventor of C++: Bjarne Stroustrup Provides insights into the design decisions which shaped C++. Gives technical summaries of C++. Presents Stroustrup's unique programming and design views