To read integers formatted as "a@b" in C++, it's recommended to use `cin` for input, but since it doesn't handle non-space-separated values well, it's better to read the input into a string first. This allows for flexible parsing using string methods or stringstream. For more complex formats, such as time values, string methods provide the necessary versatility. Regular expressions can also be utilized for advanced parsing, though they require the Boost library, which is a third-party addition rather than part of the standard library. Additionally, functions like `strtok()` can be considered for parsing strings. Overall, leveraging string manipulation techniques in C++ is essential for handling various input formats effectively.