Thread: Newbie questions

I have a few amateur questions if you don't mind answering:

1. Why are functions defined completely after the main function? (what is the purpose of the prototype?)

2. Are there any good sites where I can view sample source code from simple games and program that you reccommend? (besides the ones on this site?)

Thanks for taking the time to help me out!

1) Functions don't have to be defined after main... you can do it above main. What you can't do is call a function before the compiler sees it. The compiler reads a page top-down so if you call a function it hasn't seen yet it's going to make some assumptions about it and then it will error off if the asusmptions prove to be incorrect (which they almost always are). This is where prototypes come in... the prototype above main is telling the compiler there is a full function you call just like that somewhere further on in the source code...

2) Yep, the best site is the one thing I think you most need to be using... Get a good textbook on C ... start on page 1, read every word, compile the examples and do the exercises, play with the code until you understand it... then turn to page 2 and repeat... When you get to the end of the book you will be in a position to write small, usually console mode, programs... and then the rest is good documentation, practice and experience.


No offense, but the way you're going about this is NOT how you learn C programming.

Lol thanks CommonTater.

What books do you recommend?

Didn't notice. Reading now. :-D

Originally Posted by Black_Epiphany

Didn't notice. Reading now. :-D

Teach Yourself C in 21 Days is pretty good (that's what I started with)

The C Programming Language (Kernahan and Ritchie) is very well liked.

Both are available on Amazon...