C Programming

[Wade Chandler]

Gene Heskett wrote:

> On Saturday 08 May 2004 06:27, Trevor McNamara wrote:
> 
>>Hello,
>>
>>I am unsure if this is the correct post for this sort of question.
>>If not can someone please direct me in the right direction?
>>
>>I was wondering if anyone would know anywhere that I can download a
>>guide for an INTRO to C programming, As I would like to know C, then
>>I can understand some of the source code for UNX/LINUX?
>>
>>I have done a little bit of VB programming but nothing in C.
>>
>>Any help on this would be great.
>>
>>Thanks.
> 
> 
> I think most of what I have came from the bookstores.  I've got 
> probably 500+ dollars in so-called C textbooks on the shelf right 
> now.
> 
> Start with the one from Herbert Schildt, then fill in the gaps with 
> whatever pulls your trigger standing in front of the rack at Barnes & 
> Noble etc.  The first purchase should also include a copy of K&R #2.  
> It should be used as the argument settler in case of confusion.  
> Everything else is just so much, often way more verbose, frosting on 
> the cake.
> 
> I looked at some VB code the other night that a friend was working on.  
> Quite a lot being done in 100 lines of code, but I've never seen such 
> a batch of spagetti in my life.  Crap used but not pre-defined all 
> over the place.  Half an hour of talking about it to Jim and I had a 
> headache.  That stuff could convert a well trained programmer into a 
> blithering idiot.  Scarey.
> 

Building on this reply....

I have always liked Herberts books as well.  You can read his C++ bible 
and get up to speed on the necessities of C++ in a couple of 
evenings....in my opinion anyways.  As far as pure C goes I don't know 
... a good starter would be

The C Programming Language
Brian W.Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie(original C creator and Unix 
implementor)
Prentice Hall
ISBN 0-13-110362-8

Which is one of the best C books because it is essentially the 
instruction manual for the language from two of the original Unix C team 
at Bell labs.

For info on the book:
http://cm.bell-labs.com/cm/cs/cbook/index.html

For some history:
http://cm.bell-labs.com/cm/cs/who/dmr/chist.html

Wade