Thread: Reatailers are Killing C

  1. #1
    Its hard... But im here swgh's Avatar
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    Reatailers are Killing C

    I have an really old C book written in 1992 by Ron House publishings.

    I have been meaning to update it for ages. Anyway I was amazon today looking to see if there were any cheap ones on the market and I found 2 out of over 500. The others were C++ and C#.

    What is happening? Dont people write C books anymore? I know Deitel does but even they move onto C++ half way through and means you have to drop printf() to learn about std::cout.

    I dont see why so many C++ books are around now when C has been around longer... dont people want to learn C anymore? Is that really the way the programming pendulim is swinging now?

    Just wanted to voice my concern
    Double Helix STL

  2. #2
    Unregistered User Yarin's Avatar
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    Is there really that big of a difference between C and C++? If you know one, you kind of already know the other.

  3. #3
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    Ever thought that by searching "C" on amazon you would naturally get a ton of books with ++ or # at the end. C++ and C# are merely popular languages which are industry staples, had you done the search a while ago you would probably find more C books than C++ books. Also it is a search engine, C matches C++ and C#, so you have to put a little effort into it.

    By learnign C++, you learn a portion of C, from my experience you learn C syntax without the antiquated C standard functions. Though C++ has a standard C library implemented wih it so you can learn them at your leisure.

  4. #4
    &TH of undefined behavior Fordy's Avatar
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    Herb Schildt is still writing C Books

    just kidding

    Try K&R - http://www.amazon.co.uk/C-Programmin...7721047&sr=8-1

  5. #5
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    Perhaps C hasn't changed that much over the years, and so there is less need to write more books on it. I'm not familiar with how much changed with C99, but C has been established for a really long time. C++ is still going through major changes.


    >> Is there really that big of a difference between C and C++? If you know one, you kind of already know the other.
    This of course is completely false.

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    Reatailers are Killing C? honestly.

    as time passes new things come about, new books are written, what were you expecting? c programming books to sit in the spot light for the next thousand years?

    there's plenty of resources on the net anyway.

    and i have hundreds of programming books in pdf form, or use scholar.google.com

  7. #7
    Its hard... But im here swgh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fordy View Post
    Herb Schildt is still writing C Books

    just kidding

    Try K&R - http://www.amazon.co.uk/C-Programmin...7721047&sr=8-1
    Id run a mile from Schilt's bad practices,,,

    Thanks Fordy I appreicate the link. Il grab that one. I think its high time I got a C book that stop thinking this is the norm

    Code:
    #include <stdio.h>
    
    main()
    {
       printf("Hello World!\n");
    }
    That said there is nothing with this, back in 1992 it was proberly the way all C programs looked. But I need a book that copes with the latest standard, not legency code. Mind you, the exercises in the book I have now are some of the most challenging ones I have come across so amen to Ron House for that one.
    Double Helix STL

  8. #8
    Registered User kryptkat's Avatar
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    Have you looked at the prices of the books lately? $50 a book! That is how retailers are getting rid of langs. Looked at a few. K&R ansii $50. “C for Dummys” $48.something wow that is expensive. The same books four years ago was way less.

    Free c programming books in .pdf ? Where?

    I would like to see a book that compares the old ways with the new way and indepth reason for the change meow. Which works best and why.

  9. #9
    chococoder
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    books are priced not by retailers but publishers.
    And they price them based on their cost to produce the book combined with the expected number of sales for that book.
    As C draws far less people than does C++ or C#, the potential sales volume is far lower, thus the cost per item sold that needs to be recovered is higher, ergo higher prices.

    No conspiracy, nothing to see, move on.

  10. #10
    l'Anziano DavidP's Avatar
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    eh that depends where you live. In the USA the publisher can suggest a retail price, but cannot actually fix a retail price. This leads to competition. For example, the most recent Harry Potter book was being sold at a different price at every store I saw it at (from $25 to $40).

    This can change if you are outside the USA, though. When I lived in Italy I noticed that prices were generally the same no matter what bookstore I went to...it actually really annoyed the crap out of me because I would go to a different bookstore hoping to find a better price, and I couldn't.

    But anyways, my point is that publishers don't set the price...they just suggest one.
    My Website

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  11. #11
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    Use this search: C programming -C++ -C#
    You'll get plenty of C books.

  12. #12
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    Also the OP says that it's te retailers killing C. I wonder how many C++ book authors wrote C books way back when.

  13. #13
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    I really like C and am a pretty hardcore C fan. However, I do realize that the industry(specifically games) has moved to C++ as a standard(maybe C#?), so I'll eventually have to make the switch. But for now, I hold on to C for dear life.

  14. #14
    Reverse Engineer maxorator's Avatar
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    On game programming it's difficult to stick with C but otherwise it's no problem.
    "The Internet treats censorship as damage and routes around it." - John Gilmore

  15. #15
    chococoder
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    Retailers can change the price they charge from the one set by the publisher but many publishers will simply stop supplying them if they go more than a small margin below the set price on regular items.
    What you saw may well have been different editions (I counted I think 4 different editions of the latest Potter novel in one bookstore alone here in Amsterdam, of course with 4 different prices).

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