Author Topic: A Book on C: Programming in C  (Read 4107 times)

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Offline Joe

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A Book on C: Programming in C
« on: September 17, 2009, 12:49:37 am »
I was talking with an instructor about iPhone App development, and we started talking about C, and he recommended this book to me.

Quote
Now in it's fourth edition, A Book on C retains the features that have made it a proven best-selling tutorial and reference on the ANSI C programming language. This edition builds on the many existing strengths of the text to improve, update, and extend the coverage of C, and now includes information on transitioning to Java and C++ from C.

Beginners and professional programmers alike will benefit from the numerous examples and extensive exercises developed to guide readers through each concept. Step-by-step dissections of program code illuminate the correct usage and syntax of C language constructs and reveal the underlying logic of their application. The clarity of exposition and format of the book make it an excellence reference on all aspects of C.

This book really gets into the meat of the language. Chapter 0 is titled "Starting from zero", and it starts out flipping your world upside down, and explains that from this point forward, nothing starts at 1 anymore.  Chapter 1 is "an overview of C", and in a few short pages you really get the whole picture -- you start with ints, move to chars, strings.. then they dump on you pointers, files.. this is a real mans book.

I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn C. If you're looking for light reading for a semi-interesting topic, don't bother.
I'd personally do as Joe suggests

You might be right about that, Joe.


Offline MyndFyre

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Re: A Book on C: Programming in C
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2009, 01:02:23 am »
Isn't iPhone built in Objective-C which is kind of totally different?
I have a programming folder, and I have nothing of value there

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Offline Joe

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Re: A Book on C: Programming in C
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2009, 01:42:19 am »
Yes, and no.

Yes, iPhone apps are built in Objective-C.

No, it's not totally different.
I'd personally do as Joe suggests

You might be right about that, Joe.


Offline warz

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Re: A Book on C: Programming in C
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2009, 01:57:04 am »
It appears that you've found a real programming book. Congrats. Yes, they do exist! I've never seen that book, but I've got a few really good ones regarding XNA that definitely are not light reading. My game programming course, at the moment, is using C++ and DirectX, though. I may be back on the market for a C++ book, sadly.
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Offline Newby

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Re: A Book on C: Programming in C
« Reply #4 on: September 17, 2009, 04:38:24 pm »
No, it's not totally different.

Uh, yes it is. I've been writing Objective-C on and off over the last few months...

[root setVariable:null];

Is radically different from

root.variable = null;

Same with:

root.subtree.subtree.variable = null;

versus

[root [subtree [subtree setVariable:null]]];

If it wasn't different, they'd have no issue just letting people use C++.

But in short, C and Objective-C are radically different. Any C code works in Obj-C. That is all the similarity there is.

If you want a book for developing for the iPhone, check out Beginning iPhone 3 Development: Exploring the iPhone SDK by Mark/LaMarche. It's really amazing and doesn't bother teaching you the basics (C/Obj-C) and deals strictly with the SDK/iPhone. I didn't know Obj-C but if you have half a brain you can figure out the language as you go.
« Last Edit: September 17, 2009, 04:40:47 pm by Newby »
- Newby
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Quote
[17:32:45] * xar sets mode: -oooooooooo algorithm ban chris cipher newby stdio TehUser tnarongi|away vursed warz
[17:32:54] * xar sets mode: +o newby
[17:32:58] <xar> new rule
[17:33:02] <xar> me and newby rule all

I'd bet that you're currently bloated like a water ballon on a hot summer's day.

That analogy doesn't even make sense.  Why would a water balloon be especially bloated on a hot summer's day? For your sake, I hope there wasn't too much logic testing on your LSAT. 

Offline Camel

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Re: A Book on C: Programming in C
« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2009, 08:25:19 pm »
Isn't iPhone built in Objective-C which is kind of totally different?
Yes, but you can write C/C++ if you want.

<Camel> i said what what
<Blaze> in the butt
<Camel> you want to do it in my butt?
<Blaze> in my butt
<Camel> let's do it in the butt
<Blaze> Okay!