Thread: Finishing learning the C language

  1. #1
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    Finishing learning the C language

    I feel like I am coming up on the end of my C language learning experience. I have spent about 1,000 hours in it for the last six months. I have written about 500 programs. Many of them only took 10 minutes or so while some took multiple weeks to get through. I believe I am now very comfortable with pointers. I feel like the entire C language is just a lesson in pointers. Anyway, the subjects I have gone through include the usual basic loops, pointers, arrays, as well as string manipulation, bit manipulation, file handling, and data structures. I believe I know all of these things well enough even though I am sure I could always use more practice. I definitely would never say I have mastered C, but I do think I can understand any C code even if I might not understand the context. I know I have everything to learn about the application of C, and for programming in general, but all of this I expect to come naturally with more experience.

    What I intend to do next is move on to C++ to learn object oriented design, error handling, and all of the other things C++ has to offer which lie outside of what C seems to be naturally capable of. What I am posting about then is advice. I probably will not follow whatever advice I get, but I still would like to hear it anyway. This is my question:

    Before I stop progressing further through the C language and move onto another language, is there anything more I should look at, work on, or try out?

  2. #2
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    I suggest not moving directly to C++ after doing C. It is sometimes hard to avoid writing C in C++.
    I suggest trying another Object Oriented Programming (OOP) then after that doing C++.

    Do you know how to pass a pointer to a function to another C function?

    If yes, I say you are likely done on learning the core of C and ready to move on to another language.

    Tim S.
    "...a computer is a stupid machine with the ability to do incredibly smart things, while computer programmers are smart people with the ability to do incredibly stupid things. They are,in short, a perfect match.." Bill Bryson

  3. #3
    Master Apprentice phantomotap's Avatar
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    O_o

    Can you write the macro `DOEACH` such that

    Code:
    #define APP(X) printf("%d\n", X);
    DOEACH(APP, (1)(2)(3))
    works?

    If not, I'd spend some more time getting cosy with the preprocessor.

    In C++, that same thought process of puling bits apart can help you with template mastery.

    Soma
    “Salem Was Wrong!” -- Pedant Necromancer
    “Four isn't random!” -- Gibbering Mouther

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