The STL can be used to simplify development with containers like vectors (resizeable arrays), lists, and maps. The heart of this book provides a nicely approachable tutorial on these container types, along with examples geared toward Visual C++ 6. (In the past, STL didn't coexist well with the Microsoft foundation class library (MFC). The authors provide the correct code, including a tour of the new Standard Library header files, which supercede the older C headers.) They also cover other standard classes (like strings and complex numbers), which help simplify everyday programming tasks.

The real power of STL is arguably in its support for "generic programming" techniques, and the authors do a fine job here of outlining these features up close without getting bogged down in the often arcane syntax of STL. They look at dozens of algorithms (which can be used to sort or modify data in collections, for instance), as well as the various iterator classes (which are used to navigate through containers).

STL will perhaps never be easy to master, but Visual C++ Templates makes it more approachable for any programmer who wants to improve his or her basic skills with these standard--but sometimes difficult--classes. Written by two expert computer authors (who besides being educators have written over four dozen books together), this title fills a worthwhile niche by demystifying STL and making it something that you can use every day for greater productivity. --Richard Dragan