I'm buying a few C++ books after moving from Java. I obviously want to read the reference manual from the man himself, though I cannot tell the difference between these two editions. The special edition is ten pages shorter than the third edition. However, the special edition is recommended over the third edition and it seems this version covers the ISO standard when the other edition does not.Can anyone shed a bit of light on this?
What are the differences between Special Edition and the Third Edition of Stroustrup's The C++ Programming Language?
programming languages;c++;books
From Stroustrup's own homepage (right at the top):The special edition is the hardcover version of the 3rd edition. It  differs from the early printings of the 3rd edition by about 1,000  corrections and clarifications, by two new appendices (just over 100  pages; also available online, see below), and by an improved index.  The only difference between the current printings of the special  edition and the 3rd edition is the cover (and the price difference  implied by that stronger cover).(The bold emphasis is mine.)A little more from his FAQ section:Should I buy the Special Edition of The C++ Programming Language?Sure! Buy it early and often :-)Seriously, the difference between the current printings of the special  edition and the 3rd edition is just the hard cover (and the price  difference implied by that stronger cover).If I were a C++ programmer who hadn't read The C++ Programming  Language (3rd Edition), I'd buy and read either the 3rd edition or the  special edition. If I used my textbooks and references heavily, I'd  choose the hard cover. The cover on the 3rd is the best soft cover  available, but it doesn't equal the special edition's hard cover.If I already had the 3rd edition, I'd buy the SE if my current copy  were fraying or if my copy were an early printing (the 3rd now has  about 30 printings and SE about 20).Compared to the first printing, the special edition and the most  recent printings of the 3rd edition have 1,000+ corrections and  clarifications. As a heavy C++ user, I find that significant. There  are also the two new appendices (just over 100 pages; available for  download: Locales and Standard-Library Exception Safety).Existing material has not moved around so page numbers can be used to  refer to material in old printings, new printings of the 3rd edition,  and in the SE.The SE also has an improved index.