Although highly adaptable and flexible nature, C + + is also one of the more complex programming languages to learn. The algorithms provided in C + + Cookbook will jump-start your development by giving you some basic building blocks that you do not have to develop their own. Less a tutorial than a problem-solver, the book addresses many of the most common problems you might encounter - whether you're programming in C + + for years or you are relatively new to the language. Here are some time-consuming tasks this book contains practical solutions for: Reading the contents of the directory Creating a singleton class Date and time parsing / arithmetic String and text manipulation Working with files parsing XML using standard containers Typical's "Cookbook" series O'Reilly, C + + Cookbook is written in a simple format, featuring recipes that contain problem statements and code solutions, and apply not to hypothetical situations, but those that you may face.