The Standard Template Library - written in C++ - is a collection of container classes, basic algorithms and iterators. Over the years, it has become one of the most widely used basic frameworks in the C++ world. One could say, what C-lib is for C, STL is for C++. STL is highly parameterized, which is done through templates. Who uses STL should make himself comfortable with this concept. It is not necessary to program templates, though.
STL is part of the ANSI C++ Standard. If you use STL in your project you are industry standard compliant. The Standard is stable and there are no big canges to expect in the near future apart from extensions.
The Framework was developed by the software industry. The companies Hewlett Packard and Silicon Graphics contributed the first implementation of STL and made it available for free. A slightly improved version of this first release can be found here
| I can highly recommend Ray Lischner's "C++ in a Nutshell", which is not only a good reference on C++, but also and particulary on STL. |
Good to have this one on your desk. "STL Pocket Reference." |
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The books described above can serve well as a reference manual. This one is a guide book as well. |
It is always good to have an easy start. Before reading a good reference it is best to discover the structure of the subject from a tutorial. I include only a few ones, which I have read myself and think are useful books.