New to C

[D3T]

..Hahaha. No really.

Well. Im looking to get into C, (C++ maybe to), but out of the tutorials i have seen so far, few have i been able to understand (they tend to drop you straight in at the deep end with big pooter-words [)

Soo.... I was wondering if someone could gimme a few decent links to tutorials, point me towards the software i will need (free is good), and reccommend any books that i might understand.

Other stuff i have done... I have a VERY limited knowledge (i really mean this!) of VB, a squich of PHP and a touch of JAVA....
Not much, you'll agree. (However, i am almost 1337 in mIRC script :P)

So.. anyone as can help... please!

Yours.

[Unregistered]

Here's a site I found useful....I neew this as well...
Ya just have to keep with it...and work at it.......

http://www.iota-six.co.uk/c/

Hope it helps....

-=ID1OT=-

[Unregistered]

If you can afford it, I'd buy a simple book and work up from there. Personally, I think the web tutorials are free because they aren't worth much. Borland has a free command line compiler, and there are many others, as well. Best of luck!

[Brian]

OOoo I found a simple one the other day:
http://www.howstuffworks.com/c.htm
(annoying pop up ads, though).

Buy "The C Programming Language -- Second Edition"
By Brian W. Kernighan & Dennis M. Ritchie

ISBN 0-13-110362-8


It's invaluable for beginners and experts.

[Garfield]

Don't go C++. It's not necessary. I remember a quote (maybe from someone's sig):

"It is easier to shoot yourself in the foot with C. But when you do it with C++, you blow your whole leg off."

Just keep that in mind when choosing...

[Unregistered]

if you want long and to the point, get sams teach yourself C in however many days they are up to now. if you want short and humorus, get C for dummies, if you want the bible, get the book by ritchie, he invented the language.

[Garfield]

Don't get C for Dummies...

[Fordy]

Originally posted by Garfield
Don't go C++. It's not necessary. I remember a quote (maybe from someone's sig):

"It is easier to shoot yourself in the foot with C. But when you do it with C++, you blow your whole leg off."

Just keep that in mind when choosing...

Oh come on Garf that is the most lame reason not to learn a language I have ever heard.....

You yourself are trying to learn ASM, and you advise someone not to learn C++ because of the hazards.........

[Garfield]

Fordy, hath you no faith in I? Of course that's not a reason not to learn a language of the computer! I think he should just have the knowledge that whatever you can do in C, you can also do in C++...

[D3T]

.. No really.

This is really gunna sound a bit set up, bu:
I found a copy of Borland C++ for DOS 3.0 - that my cuz left behind last time he was down here.

Ok, so I'll grant that the software itself is a bit dated, but seeing as it was designed for low-memory windows3.x/DOS >3 286+ systems, it compiles and runs lightning fast on my 192mb/ram P3-650

...Plus, C/C++ is still C/C++ whatever u use to write it in.
I have started to leaf through the manual, and have managed to pick up some of the basics...

char name;
cout << "What is your name? ";
cin >> name;
cout << "\nYou are called: " << name  << ".";

...this sort of thing (it DOES get a bit more hard)... but I am working my way through the manual..
..I am looking for books in stores around me at a reasonable price, but I think for now Borland's Manual should work just fine.

However not all my problems are solved...
I have a few questions about header (.h) files

• What is the difference between #include <header.h> and #include "header.h"?
• When you compile, are header files squeezed into the .exe, or do they have to be included..?
• And finally, can you #include a header file in a header file?

Thanks for suggestions and help!
Yours.

BTW: Anyone else who is starting out... get a copy of somehting like the Borland manual and software to start with. It even fits on 5 floppys, with no copy protection (thats good/bad(?)).

[Brian]

What is the difference between #include <header.h> and #include "header.h"?

#include <header.h> looks in the standard locations for header.h, whereas #include "header.h" looks in the same directory as your source code as well as the standard locations.

When you compile, are header files squeezed into the .exe, or do they have to be included..?

Only the functions you use from the header are included in your .exe files

And finally, can you #include a header file in a header file?

Yes

Thanks for suggestions and help!

My pleasure

[JLTaylor]

Geez Garfield, give positive responses not negative and allow the person asking the question to make up their own mind!

C for Dummies is a dang good book, especially if you have a hard time with the other books with how they start off talking way over your head. I started with C for Dummies and now have a really good understanding of C and the alien terms the high tech books use.

JLTaylor

[Garfield]

Sorry, buddy. I guess it's a good book, but IMO there are better out there...

[Fordy]

Originally posted by JLTaylor
Geez Garfield, give positive responses not negative and allow the person asking the question to make up their own mind!

C for Dummies is a dang good book, especially if you have a hard time with the other books with how they start off talking way over your head. I started with C for Dummies and now have a really good understanding of C and the alien terms the high tech books use.

JLTaylor

I also think Gookin's C Books are good. They give a great intro into C and I found them very enjoyable to read (not common).....

They do suffer in a few places. For example, lots of his examples are really compiler specific, and he does not like MSVC++....Also there is the void main() thing which isnt too good, but then he does offer a few paragraphs on his website about this.......

Other than that though I thought they offered a pretty good start and the price of both books (bundled) is quite cheap.....