Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 08:09:27 -0600 From: james <oscartheduck@gmail.com> To: Harald Schmalzbauer <h.schmalzbauer@omnisec.de> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Mentor for C self study wanted Message-ID: <1193407767.20949.15.camel@james-desktop> In-Reply-To: <200710252319.20228.h.schmalzbauer@omnisec.de> References: <200710251606.l9PG6EMr067549@lurza.secnetix.de> <4720DEE2.9000006@gmail.com> <200710252319.20228.h.schmalzbauer@omnisec.de>
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On Thu, 2007-10-25 at 23:19 +0200, Harald Schmalzbauer wrote: > Am Donnerstag, 25. Oktober 2007 20:22:26 schrieb Aryeh M. Friedman: > > > Absolutely. (I just didn't mention it before because > > > obviously Harald already has a beginner's book on the > > > C programming language.) > > > > Herald does in fact have one that sucks (it does a terrible job on type > > sizes for example [doesn't mention that they may very on different > > Well, probably it's not that bad. > > First, thanks to all for your help. > > K&R has been laying arround here for at least 2 years. I hated it. > It instructs me to use functions like printf without explaining it, and the > examples are not really motivating. So every time I tried to write something > on my own I was stoped by the simple printf, for example. YOU DARE NOT WORSHIP AT THE CHURCH OF K&R???? No, but seriously, it took me a good three years of picking up K&R and trying to get through the first chapter before I eventually started seeing why it's referred to as *the* book. > > I'm sure it's a very good book as a reference, but it couldn't motivate me as > a real C beginner (not a bloody programming beginner though). > But if it doesn't work for you, that's okay :) It *is* a good reference, though. There's annotation for the standard libraries in an appendix. > So I bought two new books, the first, which I've started with, > is "Markt+Technik, jetzt lerne ich C" (ISBN-13 978-3-8272-4210-5). > Indeed, it hasn't made clear that short and int are different, they just > explained short and long (and double long) and I thought short is a synonym > for int. > But it explains in some short sentences the most important > behaviour/requirements for the functions we use. It still leaves me alone > when it comes to compilers, but after only three evenings so far I think that > I made real progress. Writing a simple practice just works :) > And I already know that float x; x=10/3 is 3 not 3.3333. I can't remember > reading that in the K&R in the first quarter of the book. > I'm still quiet happy with it. > > The next book is O'Reillys C in a nutshell (ISBN 3-89721-344-3). I'll open it > if I have structs and pointers practiced... > If you've got the cash to spare, try out O'Reilly's "Practical C Programming". That book is very friendly, contains a tonne of great examples, and a lot of on the spot quizzes. I was sold on it when I read the rear cover. It says something like: "K&R teaches there are nine rules of precedence in C. We teach two: the first is that addition comes before subtraction, the second is use parentheses for everything else." That kind of simplicity isn't something you see everywhere. > And of course I'll "replay" the K&R if I have some more basics. > > Thanks, > > -Harry > > > machines])... since he is paying me a small amount to help him in detail > > I am going to recommend K&R to him (with the caution is is meant for > > experienced programmers) > > >
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