Brian W. Kernighan | Dennis Ritchie | Dennis M. Ritchie
Just about every C programmer I respect learned C from this book. Unlike many of the 1,000 page doorstops stuffed with CD-ROMs that have become popular, this volume is concise and powerful (if somewhat dangerous) -- like C itself. And it was written by Kernighan himself. Need we say more?
1 The So Called "ANSI C "
After I observed Appendix A in the reference section, I could only dissolve this information with a grain of salt. The authors only convey definitions and refinements to the language, which is not the standard. Some of the glaring errors in the book come as a shock. These are the two fellows that co-founded the language at Bell Laborites back in the late 60's. The main concern that surrounds me about ANSI C is that the institute only contributes to the development of an operating system, and any further implementation which falls outside the limited scope of system development is deemed void. For this reason, I still rely on Old Testament of "Microsoft C" which allows the user to enable or disable the ANSI C support. Other oberservations I discovered from the book, tell me that K&R had a hard time keeping up with all revisions the institute made back in 1983. I would only recommend this book to advanced users of C, because some the code examples are hard to follow, and many have syntax errors.
2 Simple, concise and Excellent
A MUST for beginners in programming. For those coming from C++ background and want to learn low level concepts in C, I recommend quick visit to Chapter 7-8 and Appendix. This is not a book for data structures or algorithms. So you will not find much on those topics though you will see simple concepts here and there. For people exposed to programming this is a simple one day reading material to revisit basic C.
Chapter 1 (Tutorial Introduction) - Get started approach for beginners!
Chapter 2 (Types, Operators and Expressions) - Bitwise operators in 2.9 are good to visit.
Chapter 3 (Control Flow) - Very simple chapter.
Chapter 4 (Functions and Program Structure) - Good information here. C preprocessor details in 4.11 are good.
Chapter 5 (Pointers and Arrays) - Especially good for pointers and address arithmetic.
Chapter 6 (Structures) - Good exposure to basic C structures. Limitations of C compared to object oriented approach from C++ become obvious in this chapter.
Chapter 7 and 8 (I/O and UNIX Sytem Interface) - Those who do not have an OS background should read this chapter. You could see how concepts like system calls are abstracted and exposed through standard C functions. Simple and elegant starting point for any low level programming.
Appendix A and B - Good details on C standards. Also lot of standard C library functions are explained in good detail here. Very good comprehensive reference point.
3 C is K&R!
When I started studying C programming this little book (compared to other "bibles") was the only reference I had. Well, if you really want to know how to program in C this IS the BOOK.
No "super-duper ANSI-POSIX-ISO standard lists of functions" (you can simply find them with the man pages or on the net, and believe me, it's a snap), just pure C programming problems and techniques: types, casting, pointers, memory management, character management, binary operators, macros, etc... just the real basics of what makes a good programmer. Later, if you're interested, you'll have the opportunity to use advanced super-ISO functions that do everything. But then, you'll know what you're doing and why.
The key point is: with K&R you are given the knowledge of C programming, not the recipe for doing some C programming.
4 Should By On Every C Programmer's Bookself
This book was written by the inventers of the C programming language. Who better to teach/explain it?
This book is all killer, no filler. There are no jokes, blab, or opinions to take up space. If you don't read, understand, and implement the lesson you're on, don't expect to understand the next lesson. As a beginner, I used this book to learn C... now as a profesional, I still use this book when I need a quick reference.
After I got this book, I threw out all my "learn C in 21 day/24 hours/whatever" books since they taught less in 200 than this book taught in it's first 3 chapters.
5 An Oldie but a Goody
Still the best book for getting the feel of a fundamental
language, one that you can build just about anything, from
firmware to OS to application. Used the first edition on
many projects, wandered away to C++ and Python, but recently
back to C for a project, and this helped the return to
modern competence in little time.
6 Good
Good, Vary good C book. But I would not recommend getting this books :(.
7 expired
No offense intended - but this is for the old version of ANSI C (known after the name of this book!) and does not cover the new 1999 ISO standard and there have been significant changes to this language. Go with something newer.
8 High Price + Poor Quality Reproduction = Bad Value
I looked at this book in the store, and I have to say that I was very turned off by the poor quality of reproduction. Considering the outrageous price tag, you'd think they could spend some money on decent typesetting. It looks like someone took the first edition and slapped it on an old, fuzzy photocopier. It may be a classic, but that's no excuse for shoddy workmanship. I would get a headache trying to read this whole book, so I will vote with my dollars and find some other way to learn C. If I'm going to put up with strained eyeballs, there are plenty of tutorials I can look at online for free.
9 seminal but a little outdated
This book deserves the accolades it has received over the years from programmers of all skill and proficiency levels. It truly is concise, where not a single word is wasted in the exposition of any topic.
However, despite its refined terseness, K&R needs to be updated. Exactly how many years old is this book? Too many in my opinion. In order for it to be STILL regarded as the "bible" of C programming, it needs to incorporate both ANSI addenda (ie, C94 and C99).
10 Perfect...
For all those people excited to learn programming, and especially C programming, who are looking for a good introductory text...stop here. Seriously..do not even consider another C book until after you have thoroughly read this one..(trust me it will only take a week anyhow). This book known simply as "K&R" is the standard, and I can say that on the basis that they created the language. This book touches on the differences between 'Standard' C and 'ANSI' C quite well, also a topic you should know as a programmer...standards. Anyway, this book is extremely short, but packs a huge amount of information about the language, here's a secret C isn't very big at all. Any aspiring programmer should stop and read this text before they move on to any other topics, just learn the language first, then you can introduce yourself to the creative ways to use the language.
11 What a great book
This is a great book all the examples are alot more interesting when compared to the many other programming books I have read, this book is very old and is still out selling most of the newest programming books for C, and C++. If you wanted to learn C who is better to teach you it than Dennis Ritchie himself one of the creators of the language.
12 Its title should be "THE Book on C Programming"
This is THE Book. It is written by the people who 'invented' C. I own all three versions of this book, the original edition, the draft ANSI C edition, and the 'final' ANSI C edition.
This book is very concise (it is less than 1/2" thick) so in some chapters it requires careful reading. But it is information straight from the source. As a language book it doesn't dive into the standard C libraries or things normally associated with UNIX programming. But that is OK, its a book on programming in C, not a book on applied C programming. I have other C books, that are thicker (than my three editions of The C Programming Language put together), which don't even come close to the quality of the instruction these books provide.
13 "Hello, world"
Some people refer to this as the "c" bible. Written by Brian W. Kernighan, and Dennis Ritchie, well known in the C and UNIX field. This book is not cluttered with C++ forcing you to figure out what part is "c".
You may think that this book is not for beginners. However it is actually more of a combination of dictionary and ["The Elements of Style" ISBN: 020530902X] for the "c" language
This does of course include ANSI c, which is transportable to all platforms. It also states that", since the ANSI C library is in many cases modeled on UNIX facilities, this may help your understanding of the library as well."
The language it's self as with any language has its strong points. The main one being pointers. By not duplicating data and not having to movie it all around the application can be lightning fast and the code tight and to the point. Other advantages of the language are pointed out as with bit shifting.
This book should be used as a prerequisite to c communications books.
14 Learning C the hard way
I originally bought "The C Programming Language" because I quickly needed to acquire skills in C programming.
After working with this book off and on over a period of 4-5 years I have mixed feelings about its usefuleness
either as a tutorial or as a work of reference.
The book lacks structure and organization. After reading it cover to cover the general impression is more of a
compendium of individual papers on various aspects of the C language and its context rather than a real "book". At
a different level this is also reflected in the authors' tendency to alternate the trite and obscure with the
fundamental, making it unnecessarily difficult for the reader to recognize at a glance what is really important.
The samples of code are generally interesting and they usually exemplify sound programming techniques but they are
commented in such a cryptic manner, that a gentleman called Steve Summit who teaches the C language professionally
using K&R's the C Language as a framework has published his personal notes online in order to complement the book
and clarify its numerous obscurities.
One of the problems with C is the confusing syntax of its declarations. I expected the book to provide a clear and
thorough discussion of one of the major hurdles on your way to acquiring C- read/write fluency. With the exception
of a few lines on using typedef's the book altogether avoids the subject.
Perhaps another reason why this book can be confusing at times is that it cannot quite decide whether it is about
the C language or about C programming, continually mixing the two approaches and thus making it difficult to use -
both as a tutorial and as a reference.
Some fifty pages near the end of the book are taken up by a "Reference Manual" presenting what amounts to a formal
grammar of the language. This standalone document is mostly unrelated to the rest of the book. My guess is that
not one programmer in a million would ever refer to this text. So what's it for? Add a little bulk to this very
slim volume, maybe?
Arguably the fact that K&R "invented" C guarantees the quality of the book.. Maybe, although a gift for language
design does not automatically make you a great writer or teacher.. And, since no one is ever likely to incriminate
themselves the book has a marked tendency to gloss over the weaknesses and traps of the language rather than
clearly warn the student about them.
A bit strange that solutions to the exercises are not provided. Obviously K&R had more important things to do
than waste more time on this project.
If I had to start over & learn C programming I would probably look for a good online tutorial to quickly learn
basic C syntax and spend my money on W. Richard Stevens's "Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment". I'm
pretty sure this would get me up to speed a lot faster than working with this book.
Once you realize that working with a programming language is also about integrating a culture you will come to
think that you need this book after all.. Generations of C programmers have learned from it and as a result it
has pretty much shaped the face of C programming.. This may be one reason why you will eventually want to buy
"The C Programming Language".
15 Beginners Should Use K&R With Steve Summit's Notes
Many reviewers have noted that K&R2 isn't well-suited to the needs of a real beginner. I was in the same position and found Steve Summit's online "class notes" a useful introduction, along with his supplemental notes to K&R2.
16 I have two copies of this book!!
WONDERFUL!, i think every C programmer must read it more than once,every single line is valuable.
I have two copies of this book in case I loose one.
17 Great, not for new comers though
Great book, not for people who nothing about programming. If you "look inside this book" (or find this book at a local bookstore) and can read the intro pages, you could see that they come right out and say that their target audience should know about variables, and other basics of programming (functions and decision making if-else, i think). I bought this book used, and apparantly the person who owned it before me did not check out the content nor what was assumed of the readers. Although it may sound kind of mean, I found it hilarious as I was flipping through the pages where he had written in things like "What's a double?", "whats this: || ?", "LOWER = 0; ?". If you're unsure whether this book is for you, click on that "look inside this book" above and try following along in the first chapter. If you get lost, get an easier book. If it's just right, then go for it.
18 The definitive C programmers book
Often refered to simply as K&R, this book is the standard by which other technical books are judged. Written by the authors of the language, it is one of those rare books that combines brevity with clarity. It is a combination of an excellent tutorial book and a clear reference manual, and it also has a very useful index. This book has it all!
I refer to this book all the time and so does every professional C programmer I know. It's worth every penny.
If you are doing Unix/Linux programming the next book to get is "Advanced Programming in the UNIX(R) Environment"
by W. Richard Stevens.
19 The only C refrence you need
This book is short and sweet. It gets straight to the point by keeping it simple(unlike many programming books that just wander off into the back woods talking about some complex programs when its trying to explain a simple syntac). I recommend this book along with C Primer Plus, then C unleashed if you wish to contiune that far down the beaten path.
20 K&R all the way!
This is the book. Period. If you don't own this, change professions.
21 stupid newbs...
hey u! yes u! im talking to u, the newb that tries to learn the deep language of c. Do not get this book unless you have some programming experience. Don't even try coming near c until you have at least learned basic, or some python, and even java (if ur really into oop). Anyways... if you don't know much bout programming then i wouldn't recommend even trying c. c goes into many deep concepts, and bugs that you may not understand at first. so besides that, i thought this book was excellent. It does a great way of explaining things, and it's just ansi c. so this book is good to start out with learning bout c if ur willing to try.(not newbs that is).
22 Great book, worth to spend money on
I love this book. It's my main source for C language solution, and it's great to use as reference. Very straight forward and easy to use. While the code is written in a little bit old fashioned way, it's still the best C book around.
23 pick it up
I bought this book a few years back as a first book on C programming. I heard this book was by the smart guys that wrote the language, and I was going to get it straight from the source. I had one problem though; I couldn't handle the info. At that time I got discouraged 1/3 of the way through the introductory chapter and put it down. I didn't pick it up again until a couple of weeks ago.
Having since read another introductory text on C, I can understand this book now. Now that I can understand it, I enjoy and appreciate the elegant clarity of the concise writing style. It's a great second or third book on C. It provides the foundations necessary to advance to the intermediate programming level and beyond.
This book is very condensed. Although it's short, it's not a book most of us will read very fast. It's quite different from most modern books on programming. Still, it's quite digestible if you've had a good introduction to C and programming in general. For me, this book filled in all the nagging little questions left by other introductory books. The index is excellent and useful. I cannot overstate how much a good index is worth in a book like this. Appendix A, which is a reference manual for the language is also excellent.
Although the book is dated, its effectiveness is not hindered by time. It covers the language backwards and forewards with absolute clarity. If you really want to know C, I suggest picking up this book after an introductory text. I know that the information in this book will save me from hours of frustrating beginner mistakes. I think I'm ready to move on to Stevens now.
24 Very strange but enjoyable
This is one of those books that is put aside on the shelf once you just start reading. One year later, you come back and have a go at it once more. Only this time you pause and think what a great book this has always been and you'd wish you had read it earlier.
Secondly alot of people here say this is *the* book for beginners. In my honest opinion, this is not so. It's way too technical for beginners to programming. My suggestion is that if you have any academic or professional background with C or any other language, then this book will serve you well. Otherwise don't buy this book, you will simply get lost. Read some good intro books on C which don't go into details. Once you get your feet wet, go ahead and buy this book. You will enjoy it.
There is a mis-paragraphing in the sections in chapter 5 where they are discussing the method alloc(). The value returned in the method code and the discussion of what the method returns is inconsistent. The discussion could have been put in better words.
Overall this is a very good book. A must have for serious C programmers. I would advise you to read the code *before* you read the discussion, it will help you undertsand better, especially if you like learning by example, otherwise, do as you please.
I am not a fan of huge 500-1000 page books on Computers. This book beats them all, well done K&R. Enjoy your read on this one when you buy it.
Cheers
25 You're not a programmer...
...unless you've read this book!
Simple, quick, to the point, and easy to refer to in the thick of battle. The only C book one ever needs! Ever!
26 Practical, informative and fun
This is a compact book with a lot of kick. The authors are experts in their field. There are no paddings of fluff or handholding. Writing is intelligent and concise. Information flows from chapter to chapter with clear purpose. The examples are excellent, focusing on essential problems all programmers go through one time or another. These days I don't program in C much but rather use a more higher level language like Python,Perl,Java,Ruby,etc. If you're like me and benefit from these wonderful languages or environments then this is the book to thank. Because chances are, those gifted programmers who wrote the languages you use everyday probably built the corner stones of their skillsets with this book.
27 Nirvana of Programming Language Textbooks
This is as good as it gets: concise, excellent examples, and the right form factor.
The only negative I can offer is that the 1st edition was even better.
28 Great book.
Complete, yet concise, excellent index.
Early on, the book patiently teaches you the language with examples, then, toward the end of the book, it describes the language concisely and precisely for the pro.
29 Excellent book on C programming
I found this to be the best and most detailed C programming book I've yet encountered. Examples are completely relevent to the topics covered. Excellent coverage! Anyone interested in learning C programming should get this book. It is a must for serious programmers.
30 simply best book out there, no more words
I owe whole my career to this book. I guess thats enough...
31 Very good overall. Some sections need work
So far, I've read about 50 pages of the book and I'm quite impressed. Some areas, however need a lot of work. An example is the introduction to Arrays (Ch.1, Sec. 1.6). It has a poorly written 1st paragraph that doesn't really explain how arrays work. This by itself is acceptable, but the pages that follow are predicated on the pages before them so... in short, I had to find another reference that better explained arrays in order to grasp the next section of the book. I don't think people should have to do that.
32 A must for any C or C++ programmer
If you intend to do any real world programming, you will need to know C. Whether writing in C, or just maintaining someone else's C code. Even if you're doing C++, It's still based on C.
If you want to be able to use C, you should have this book. Contrary to what others have reported, it is possible to learn C from this book. It just isn't spoonfed to you. You have to look at things, and apply concepts rather than copy and modify code.
I got my first copy of this book about 7 years ago, and I still carry it in my laptop bag, which goes pretty much wherever I do.
One thing however. If you're expecting to learn how to program from this book, you WILL be disappointed. You should already know something of structured programming languages. For that matter, if you are new to programming, C itself isn't your best choice. Python seems to be the modern beginner language of choice. Others choose Visual Basic, however that has it's own problems.
Overall however this is the best C programming book out there, if you're willing to make the effort to understand it.
33 The classic text, but there are better books.
Yes, this is the classic text on C, but in 2003, there are better books.
If you want to know what went on in the designers mind in the creation of C, get this book.
If you need a tutorial about C, there are better choices.
34 A great Bible. Not a great tutorial.
I got this book and tried to use it to learn C. I got very frustrated and eventually went out and bought "C by Example" which is more of a beginners type book. After getting my feet wet with the basic concepts I came back to this book and could actually use it to learn from.
If you have no programming experience than I do not reccommend this as your first book. Get a more introductory book first and then dive into the K&R book.
35 The one and the only
Reviews... You folks may be kidding. Masterpieces don't require reviews. My teacher once told me:
" If it is there in Ritchie... It is there in C "
If you don't own this book, don't claim to be a C programmer (not even a beginner also...)
36 Not for the beginner
This book is a good reference manual for C programming, but it
should not be the book from which you learn C. I tried, but as
a result, I find it very frustrating writing simple programs. I'd call it "C For Geniuses" or "C For Those Who Already Know C". I agree that I've eventually found everything I've needed to know in this book, but the problem can be digging it out. Everything is distilled down into as little space as possible, and very often, programs are used as examples to explain a particular point. I don't appreciate having to plow through some code to figure out how to use pointers or whatever. I need more description, such as, for example, why pointers can be cast to "void" and back without losing information; this is just stated in a single sentence and shown in a fairly complicated program. That isn't good enough for me. I need this information at a more basic, descriptive level. Anyhow, since I'm clearly a dummy when it comes to programming, I've ordered C For Dummies. Maybe that's what I need to get the most out of not only C, but out of this book as well.
37 Excellent
Besides "assembly language Step-by-Step", this book is one of the best ever written.
Will you succeed in mastering C with this book?
Depends entirely on the fact how much effort and thought you put in the examples and exercises. For example, there's a procedure dcl() that converts C-declarations to plain English. If you understand this procedure, you will have a rock-solid understanding of complicated declarations like "void * (*(*fp1) ()) [10]" (a pointer to a function that returns a pointer to an array of 10 void pointers).
38 elegant , graceful, seductive
i was in several programming language classes and i was drowning in confusing programming books. this book stopped the panic, calmed my mind, and let me see the creativity of programming. it is an astounding simple book about c programming, but maybe not a starter programming book or the last book to pick up on programming. but i would suggest squeezing it into your reading list at some point.
39 Elegant and Brief but Not for Beginners
If You want to start programming with C without any background You will have a hard time learning using this book.
However, if You already know the basic ideas behind programming then don't waste Your time with other 500+ pages books.
Learning how to program is easy when You learn painful details after not during learning the fundamentals and structures.
The pace of the book is in such a way that challenges You instead of exhausts/bores You.
40 Not the best.
Altogether a good book. Not very good for beginning programmers and a bit to brief. It doesn't cover many topics well enough.
41 Excellent Reference Book with Terse Examples.
This is the one and only book to have on the C programming language, written by the original developers of the language. It covers all of the syntactic and semantic issues of the language. Any question regarding C can be answered here and can be located quickly thanks to its good index. I am impressed by the completeness of this text, it includes very useful information such as: precedence and associativity rules, bit-wise operators, the preprocessor, control structures, pointers, the standard C library, I/O, interaction with the UNIX operating system, and a complete language specification. The list goes on!
For nearly every feature of the language, there are very useful exercises that will either familiarize the reader with the feature or clarify the reader's previous knowledge. Although many of the examples are targeted towards intermediate or advanced programmers, beginning programmers should be able to get a lot out of many of the examples.
I have purchased many 1000+ page books on different languages including C and have found that many are incomplete and spend numerous pages on topics that can be stated in one or two paragraphs. This book in around 250 pages covers everything you need to know about the C programming language and I would highly recommend getting a copy for your own library.
42 C programmer's bible
What can I say that hasn't already been said? If you don't own this book you are not a C programmer! This is basically the C programmer's bible, but don't expect that it teaches you how to program. You need to come from a background of previous programming experience.
43 Perhaps the best educational book of all time
K&R C is easily the best book on C ever written. It is certainly the best programming language book, perhaps even the best educational resource, I've ever come across. I feel pained when people say it is not good for learning C, or too difficult etc. I have found it great (not just good mind you) for both learning and reference, and continue to believe that if you cant learn C from K&R C, then perhaps programming is not your cup of tea.
The greatest traits of this book are conciseness and yet, a remarkable thoroughness. It is also amazing how quickly one can find a solution to a problem... even the index is concise yet thorough. It is also written like an educational book should be written... humbly and objectively. K&R C is a classic not only for its educational value, but also for the beauty of its writing. This is a must-have for any programmer worth their salt.
44 Good overview of the language, but not for beginners.
For some reason, this book was assigned to one of my intro to comp-sci classes. It definitely does not fit such profile as it provides a great overview of the language, how it's built, how it works, and its applications, however, it does not teach to program. If you already know the basics of programming and are proficient in a similar language (e.g. Java), this may be an interesting read to understand the workings of the C language, but by no means expect it to provide little "classes" to teach you to be a C programmer.
Good overview of the language, targetted at more advanced programmers.
45 A great reference to have on your desk!
This is not the type of book you'd really want to read cover to cover but it is probably the best C reference I have ever seen. Hard to beat for the price.
46 Kernighan and Ritchie
This is the only book on C I ever owned. Enough said?
47 Amazing book
I bought this book coz i'm a novice to C and my collegue teacher use it in the class. It's a bit hard to beginners like me, but with other beginner book it's perfect. Have everything you want to know... like pointers =)
I recommend it to all the people...
48 A Programming Classic
With more than 30 years under its belt, the C programming language still remains one of the most important computer languages to date. Languages like Perl and Java might have secured permanent niches in certain areas of programming, but one must keep in mind that they their own compilers were written in C languages, and both use structures and styles derived from C.
In short, this book is a classic in the field of computer programming, but it is no less relevant today. Kernigham and Ritchie start the reader from the very beginning with discussions of variables and functions, and keep their discussion of C in very stripped down and simple terms. Using C libraries can get you very far these days as a programmer, but if you want to know how those functions work, you will enjoy a very nice introduction in this book. You will make your own functions like strcat, atoi and so on using the most basic C commands. This approach to programming really helps the new programmer think for themselves.
I also like the problems and questions throughout the book. Kernigham and Ritchie definitely want the reader to be actively learning C and not just be a passive reader.
In short, this book is an excellent starting point for someone wanting to learn C, or for someone who is starting out in programming. Its also a classic that should definitely be on any career programmer's shelf.
49 Simply the best C programming language reference
This book is a classic. The description of all facets of the language is succinct and clear. So much information is lucidly expounded in so few pages. If you do C, you need this!
50 Simply the best C programming language reference
This book is a classic. The description of all facets of the language is succinct and clear. So much information is lucidly expounded in so few pages. Make sure you get the ANSI version (2nd edition)!
51 The C Bible
This book is simply the best. The author provides so much information for such a small book. If you are a beginner then it is a little hard to understand because there is so much information in such a small book, but if you try hard and work the exercises you will get it. I know this isn't a real good "review", but it doesn't need one. Just buy it.
52 GET IT!!!
This review is simply an addition to 162 other reviews that give this book cumulative five starts. There is a reason for such a great rating!
In less than 300 (actual overview of C is less than 200) pages these authors packed a wealth of information. Their writing style is fabulous, crisp and clear. All of you computer authors who bombard us with 500-1000 page books ought to learn a lesson -sit down and think... think... think... and then produce a book that is full of useful information rather than watered down stuff so that you can charge more money for it.
Elegance of thought combined with examples that transition swiftly from easy to difficult makes it an invaluable classic, a must addition to your tech library, and a blueprint for communicating technical information in a written fashion.
Big thanks to the authors for job well done! :)
Dmitriy
P.S. Also I would suggest to buy an answer book that compliments this text.
53 must see for 'C'
this obviously is not the book for beginners,neither is it the sole property of experts.what it requires is a simple overiew of the language before getting started.
but if youre looking for prog excercises,dont even think of this book for excercises ,think of it as a book for technical hints and tips,and go no further..
54 Great Reference Book, Beginners Look Elsewhere
"The C Programming Language" is NOT a book for beginning programmers, or for those very new to C who wish to learn gradually. It is not much of a tutorial. It's written for either very experienced programmers coming from other languages, or for those who know the basics of C and need a reference book. The descriptions and examples are terse, and the learning curve is steep. Once you are comfortable programming in C, however, this is the one book you want next to you (and it will likely be the ONLY reference book you will ever need for straight ANSI C). Since it was written by the original authors of the C language, it's hard to imagine anyone being more authoritative on the subject, and although there's little hand-holding, it is well-written and pleasant enough to read through cover-to-cover. When you're ready to really get your hands dirty, do not hesitate to order this book.
55 unclear,unclear,unclear,...!
this book is useless anyway! you can not understand this book unless you are already an expert. but, then why do you need a C book!? except maybe as a reference. don't buy it.
56 Don't let the arrogance of others scare u off if u r a newby
(spelling in title due to space limitations) I have read other reviews saying this book is too tough for beginners and VB developers, blah blah blah. Granted, if you have absolutely no experience programming then this book will be a challenge, but it is not impossible to get the concepts if you have a keen eye for detail. Also, if you have worked in VB and have messed around with functions and created objects and some of its more advanced features, then you should have enough technical acumen to flow through this book and not feel like an idiot. I've learned VB and had BROWSED and or lightly worked with the inner workings of Java, C++, VBScript, Javascript before reading this book (they aren't terribly difficult, I know). Syntactically, there are a lot of similarities so I was able to focus on concepts when reading this book and later others (i,e, C#, Java) making the book easier to flow through. Basically, when I started this book I wasn't considered 'hard-core' programmer and I was able to do the excercises and undersanbd the concepts without it being this monumental tasks others wouls lead you to believe, but that may just be a testament to the book!
57 A terrific book
Trivia. Who was the man behind the C programming language? Simple, it's Dennis Ritchie. And so he gets down to writing a book along with Brian Kernighan - well done.
This book was aimed basically at fellow programmers because this was the only book on C for a long time. So you will not find things like 'the + symbol stands for addition' in this book.
An important aspect of this book is that it is easy to read, and will give the reader a good exposure to one of the most important programming languages of all time.
58 The only C book you will ever need
This book is a classic. The first edition was an incredibly concise introduction and description of the C language. The second edition (reviewed here) was slightly more verbose but mainly just added the ANSI C library information at the back (which had become a vital standard). A example of elegant conciseness. Highly recommended - this is the book on C.
59 The best book on C
This book is probably the thinnest book on C I have seen, and at first I wondered if it was worth the steep price. It is! Before I bought this book I had tried to learn C from a number of "beginner" books, and always got lost and frustrated (my only previous language experience had been BASIC).
This book (by the authors of C) was a great tutorial, leading me step-by-step through the features of C. This book uses very little technical jargon, instead talking about every feature in English, so it is easy to understand for someone with little experience. Also, all code examples in the book were thoroughly tested, so they work. (many books, including the ubiquitous Deitel & Deitel books contain numerous errors that can be extremely frustrating to beginners)
Now that I know the language, I still use this book quite a bit. It is one of those rare books that is both a tutorial and a reference book. If I ever wonder about something subtle, or want to teach myself some advance topic, I can easily find the information in the well-organized index.
This book is a must buy and is probably the only book necessary to learn or use C. (although an algorithms book is a good companion).
60 Excellent book
It is older, but it is an excellent book on the C programming language and a must read.
61 Hey, look no further, everyone knows this is the C bible
This is the C bible. No need for me to say any further because there are 150 Five-Star ratings for this book. What are you suspecting about???
62 The Definitive Guide
If you're programming in C, then you must have this book. It's the definitive guide to the C language.
63 GREAT BOOK
Best C programming book!!!
This book might be a little difficult for beginers but.. for programers with experience in other languages it is an excellent book.
64 not the best
with all due respect to K&R, i have to point out that there are better C programming books for beginners.
(3ed), is a good example: it does a better job cleaning the dusty corners of C.for this K&R's book, one thing i don't understand is that they seem to be obssessed with using string processing functions as examples. the matter of fact is, the C standard library does a lousy job processing strings: most of the string processing functions are type unsafe and tedious to use.
as for why C is so popular (hence this book), one is because C is relatively easy to learn and use, compared with C++, ML etc. the other reason is that unix and most unix libraries are written in C. but with virtual machine around the corner, it's time to move one level up. even though i use C all the time for writing compilers and kernel drivers, other languages like java/ ML/ python/ lisp are much more fun to use.
65 _Incredible_
Ok, so I didn't actually buy the book (yet). But, I read about 30 pages at my local book store. It is incredible. I'm sort of a new programmer, but I know a bit of JavaScript and a bit of C++. JavaScript and C++ both have a similar structure to C, you know, functions, curly brackets, etc. I would recommend this to anyone who has even a little experience and just a basic understanding of the C structure. My recommendations to *complete* beginners:
1. Read a few online tutorials/ebooks.
2. Get this book.
For beginners with a bit of experience:
1. Get this book.
For programming experts in other languages:
1. Get this book.
Pretty simple huh?
This book is also very "get to the point". What I mean is that within the first 30 pages, it goes from a <=10 (smaller than or equal to) line "hello, world" program, to a >= 20 (larger than or equal to) line advanced while-for looping program. I know it says something like "why write a 600-page book when you can write a 200-page book and learn the same thing". Sorry if that quote is entirely wrong, I just don't have an idedic memory.
Buy it, you'll love it.
66 Kick [butt]
Not having this book in your collection is like a preacher without his bible!
67 It's What A Language Book for Programmers Should Be
Just a review or two below this one, you'll see a short review that says "By Programmers, For Programmers". This review is absolutely on the nose.I've ALSO been programming for 20+ years, everything from bit-slice microcode to ASP on web pages. I write C for a living, every day of my life, and have been doing so for about 10 years. I learned C by reading other code in C, and from this book. This is the ONLY book that actually sits on my desk and gets used (OK, so I may have been writing C for 10 years but I'm still a lousy C programmer, OK?).
This book is clear, to the point, and authoritative. It's not in the least annoying. It doesn't try to be "funny". It is not over-burdened with stupid "here's what programming is" sorts of tutorial information. It's got a very good index.
What more could a professional developer need?
68 Great for Begginers!
This book is one of the best C programming language ever!If you want to find out what C is all about, you should read this, but due to the current development of the programming language, I would advise you to better learn programming techniques or basics and then swith to a specific book on the evironment you plan to develop your programs (Borland C++, Visual C++, etc)
And, something you should be aware of, it does NOT cover anything but C, just ANSI C, not C++ and all the revolution around it. Not even an introduction to those development environments.
69 C book by a programmer for programmers
I've been programming for 21 years - everything from 80x86 assembly language to SQL and Perl. For those wishing to learn C, this is an outstanding book. The book isn't real flashy as far as the publishing goes, but as far as information, it delivers.
70 Best C Book in the World
Starts you off at the beginning and walks you through logically and simply. Best C book in the universe. If you want to learn C, start with this one.
71 Greatest C Book in the World
For an introduction to ANSI C, this is the best, direct from the horses mouth. It explains everything from the ground up. If you want to study C, read this FIRST.
72 Condensed Cream-Of-C Soup
About 5 years into my programming career, I was mildly interested in learning C, so I picked up this book. At the time, I was deterred - it was very brief, terse, and confusing, so I put it back down again.But now, years later, with many more languages under my belt, I find myself again drawn to C. So I picked up this book again (2nd edition), and finally, I see the light! It is a wonderful book, I agree with all the glowing comments people have written about it, BUT! It is a book written by a computer programmer, for other computer programmers, not a book written by a teacher for a beginning student.
C is alive and well, and still in use today - it lives "at the core" of most popular languages. You can see its influence on C++, JavaScript, even Visual Basic. If you are ready for it, reading and working through the examples in this book will provide you with a solid base for understanding an amazing variety of 'newer' programming languages.
You have to work through the examples, though. If you 'just read' this book, you'll comprehend and retain close to '\0' (null) of the information presented. It's only by going through the examples, that you really nail the subject matter. Yeah, I know, some of these examples are tough - but they're also real-life, and typical of routines every programmer writes and uses. I myself sweated blood over exercise 3-3, but hours later when I was done, the satisfaction of comparing my answer favorably to others was worth it. :-)
I have the C For Dummies books 1 and 2, and after going through them, I was still a Visual Basic programmer. ;-D If you already are a computer programmer, and want to obtain serious knowledge in C without wasting your valuable time, learn from this book.
73 Should be required reading for all C programmers
This book covers every aspect of the ANSI C programming language. It is written by the man who developed the language to begin with and can be used as a reference in addition to a textbook. About the only other thing you'll need is a library reference to go with your compiler. If Amazon had a rating higher than 5 stars, this book would deserve it!
74 The classic of computer programming
If there could be only one book to read for anyone interested in starting computer programming, and this is it. The focus is on describing the C language and providing a sound understanding of the principles of C programming. Not a step-by-step, how-to book, but a more fundamental and purposeful explanation of the C Language. I often recommend this book to programming students as a book to judge all other computer books by.
75 The BIBLE for anyone learning C or programming concepts
This is the second edition of the original Kernighan & Ritchie (K&R) text. This book is commonly referred to as the New Testament as it includes the modifications incorporated by the ANSI standard, while retaining the nature of the 1st edition. This book assumes that the reader has some basic programming knowledge. So if you're just starting to program and C is the first language, this might not be the ideal book. This is one of THE BEST books on C and a must have, especially if you're starting your own little programming library.
76 You Must Have This
This is THE definition of the C programming language. I read this book three times when I originally entered the Unix industry segment. It is both a tutorial and a reference; the first half is illustration and example, and the second half is the actual ANSI standard. The first half also includes homework assignments! This book doesn't come with finished programs; you'll actually have to write your own. Kernighan and Ritchie do spend time teaching the idioms that you will most commonly encounter in C source code. If you're learning C for the first time this would be best supplemented by a more straightforward study book, preferably one that includes whole programs that compile and run without modification. If you are a professional C programmer, or a professional in technical support, this book is a mandatory cornerstone of your library.
77 Awesome
This book is great for anybody that knows a programming laguage already and wants to jump in with C. Kernigan and Ritchie are the true masters of the language. These are the guys to learn from. All the code examples in the book are complete and well structured. These code examples are still used in the industry and the code in this book really transcends to any language. For this reason this book can help someone out just getting their feet wet with programming.
78 Best when it's from the source, right?
Of course this book is good. It's writeen by the expert. It is written concisely and effectively. I used it though a Intermediate C course to fill in the blanks that the instructor left. It was a comfort to have it there!
79 The only C language textbook/reference you'll ever need!
I've read some C language text books, and they all fell short in some (or even many) way.This book is short, to the point, exact and clear.
Many useful examples, with motivating reasons for those examples.
I found this book useful not only to beginners in C (as a textbook) but also as a reference book for experienced programmers, and a good reference for people teaching the C programming language.
In many C courses they give "A book on C" and this book as the course textbooks - I say forget about the ABC book - and stick to this one - you won't regret it.
80 Cannot really add much
This book is really a classic. The brevity of the text, reflects just how simple the language actually is. Do not get me wrong C programming can be difficult, but name any new language where you can almost store all of it's basic constructs inside your head. Anyway this book is a great place to begin with std C.
81 The Best C Reference
I found this book in 1995 when I was working on Windows Programming in Ada. I had no C experience or Windows experience. I got a copy of Petzold and the C Programming Language. I cannot say that I mastered C or Windows programming, but without Kernighan and Ritchie as a guide, I would have been dead in the water. This book pulls me through problems time and time again when I deal with C. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in C.
82 Still the Best
Face facts: no matter how many programs you've written, regardless of your years of experience, you can't really call yourself a programmer until you've learned "C". Furthermore, you can't say you've learned "C" until you've read this book.
Alas, the most recent version is depressingly more [costly] and bloated than the original. Nevertheless it is still the reference of choice for all true "C" aficiandos.
Please, DON'T cater to your innate laziness and fear of the
unknown. Instead, do your mind a favor: challenge it.
Kernighan and Ritchie (only the uninitiated refer to it by its
title) is dense, fast, complete, and full of tough problems to solve. There's a minimum of chat and humor (modern authors take note), instead the authors profess their admiration for the intricacies of the language.
83 A masterpiece
It is difficult to avoid cliches when talking about this book - it is just so good, that one can't help heaping superlatives on it.This book is affectionately known as 'K & R', after the names of the authors, and it is almost definitely the most widely respected of all books on any given programming language.
This is the book that introduced the 'Hello World!' program to the world :-), which is now practically a standard first program in any introductory book on any programming language.
This is straight from the creators, and the implied authority, while an excellent reason in itself for taking a look at the book, pales in comparison to its other merits - brevity & clarity being foremost.
This book is best appreciated if you already have some programming background - i say this from experience, since i knew Fortran 77 & Pascal before i learnt C, and the knowledge of Pascal, in particular,made it much easier for me to pick up C than classmates for whom it was the first programming language.
Of course, if you're new to programming, you could still try learning from this, but it might be a bit of a struggle. If so, the books by Kelley & Pohl, K.N.King or Gottfried(Schaum series) may be useful for 'getting upto speed' with C first, and then coming to K & R.
C is the one language which is both 'high level' and 'low level' at the same time - to date, it is the nearest to the ideal of a programming language that is easy enough in description to be followed by human readers, and at the same time close enough to the machine's language to be executed fast.There are faster languages, to be sure - assembly language is necessarily faster than any high level language. But just try coding a reasonably involved program in assembly, or even reading such an effort ! There are other languages which might be 'easier' for people to read, but they are slower(C++,Java,etc,etc).
It is also the 'mother' of all modern biggies - C++ owes even its very name to C, Java was derived from C++, and Perl is **written** in C !!
So knowing C would give you a better appreciation of the other languages as well.
And it's still the language of choice for systems programming - so no systems programmer can afford to be a non-expert at C.
Anyway, back to the book - and what a book it is! The authors are not just great programmers, they are outstanding writers as well.
The book is just 274 pages, but it will teach you more than most thick 'tomes' on programming could ever possibly teach.
And no, that doesn't imply that it's 'dense' or abtruse. The authors choose their words judiciously, and there is not a word out of place.The book is designed to make you think, for there is no better way of learning than to think things out for yourself.
Reading the carefully worded text and working out the compact examples will teach you a lot - if you can go through all the exercises, well then you'll surely be an expert when you finish the book. I never did, but i learnt enough to implement several projects in C over the past six years, right from searching and sorting to cryptography and speech recognition.
The examples in this book are a thing of beauty (and therefore a joy forever!!). Elegance, in one word.
It has that universal characteristic of a great book - no matter how many times you read it, you'll learn something new.
You may buy several other books for specialized purposes of particular projects, but when you want to get into the nitty-gritty, to clarify any elusive points, you'll return here, to 'the word of the law', as laid out by the creators of the language.
Basically, if you program in C, you've just got have this book -
and once you have it, you'll find it indispensable.
84 The Classic... and still the best..!!!
Concise ..and to the point explanation of the C programming language.
K and R explain the language syntax and semantics in a succinct manner, that makes the reader understand C in record time.
This book serves as an invaluable reference on my bookshelf.
85 A Classic.
Not a book for beginners trying to acquaint themselves with the language, but a tremendous reference book for those who are moving to C from another programming language or who want to fully exploit the raw potential of this language. Look at the shelf of any C programmer. You'll invariably see one or another edition of this book.
86 Simply the best
This is the best book available for C. It covers the ANSI C 1989 standard. I consider it to be comprehensible to intermediate level C programmers, so my opinion is that if you want to understand completely what you read you must have some C background. Of course if you have that background, read the book and see the Light.
87 A rarity: Succinct and Thorough
I'm new to procedural programming. I bought this book as a reference for the ANSI C language, so that I could look up various rules or constructs that might otherwise be described less thoughtfully in the various how-to books that are available for C Programming. I was not disappointed in the least.My advice to those learning C as their first programming language is to get either C for Dummies (Vol 1 & 2 are sold together on this site) or Learning to Program in C by Deitel and Deitel. The latter will certainly build your skills more, but the former makes it easier to get started and keep an interest through the first few chapters (usually the most critical ones when working with books like these). Then you can use this book as a cross-reference when something doesn't make sense to you.
Even so, if I could learn from only one book, it would be this one without a doubt. It's relatively short length is one of its great strengths. Nowhere are you buried in obscure references or cryptic examples. It's all very clearly put together for the reader. No wonder it's hard to find used copies in good condition!
88 This is a fantastic book
I do not normally review books on Amazon but I could not keep my opinion to myself in this case. This is not just a great programming book, it is probably the best technical book ever written period. This is like reading the best by Hemingway, spare but complete. This is the way books should be written in general.
89 my first and only good book on C
This book really delineates the outset of my career as a software engineer. I'd hacked around with pascal, basic, and assembly language, but had heard a lot of good things about C. I wasted my time with several other books on C, but never made much progress until I found "good 'ol K&R" (i.e. this book).It's a true classic that stands the test of time and is probably the only book on C you'll ever need. It has also served as a useful benchmark - since this book I regard any thicker book on a programming language as one or both of the following: a sign of a bad language; a sign of a bad book.
I also recommend O'Reilly's "POSIX Programmer's Guide" as an excellent reference to the STANDARD system programming libraries for C.
90 The standard.
This book is the standard - a must own if you write code in C. While not a masterpiece in terms of its prose or style, it's got the facts, it's small, tight, and condensed. What more do you need in a reference book? Nothing.
91 A great place to start.
Anyone that's ever touched a programming language that wants to learn C should start here. Especially all of you recent additions to the UNIX/Linux world -- buy it now, pass it on to someone else later.
92 *bow* were not worthy *bow*
The bible of today's basic programming concepts, I must have read this over and over and over and over again a few thousand times, this is not just my favourite programming book, its my FAVOURITE book, ([name]seconds it), if youre into computer programming you must have this book.
93 Unbelievable...even for beginners!
Out of all the books I have read...this one deserves 6 stars! I picked up several books on C at the local library in an attempt to learn the language. After reading several books that made "War and Peace" seem small, I picked this one up from the stack. In a little over 200 pages, the authors ahd explained C in a way that all the others failed. They approach C from a no-nonsense way and explain it in simple, easy to understand language. I have sense purchased my own copy, and I noticed that every coder at work has this book readily at hand. Other books tend to miss the mark when it comes to C, and some of them won't even attempt to explain pointers, arrays and structures. One book I had refered me to this book for a better explaination! These guys invented C, so its the best thing short of having them as a personal teacher!
94 Absolutely essential for learning/using C
I've been programming for a little over a year now, I've had two (very light) semesters of C++, and I use perl quite a bit as well. I came to this book looking to get a solid foundation with C before pursuing my interests in compiler design and computer graphics programming. The examples, I thought, were a bit more plausible than in many other programming books, and infact many are (sometimes scaled down) equivalents of standard library functions. Moreover, the examples are very elegantly written, and get you thinking about clever ways to exploit this languages syntax. Some of the concepts in this book are so dense (sometimes unrealistically, but for good reason), I would stare at the same few lines of code trying to decipher what it meant. But that's what helped my C-contemplating brain-cells grow, and now I can decipher the meaning of many convoluted C statements very quickly.I also thought 'Programming Perl' was a great programming book also, and I sometimes wonder if the popularity of these languages can be at least partially attributed to having great texts like this to learn them from.
95 Best learned from the source
C programmers will find themselves needing other books, but this one is a must-have for everyone who uses the language. Unlike the refrigerator-sized goliaths that promise to teach C to the reader in under 30 seconds, this book is small, concise, and can probably teach the language faster than any other. Its index allows for easy quick reference to the seasoned C programmer. The authors are the de facto authoritative source on the subject, and this book should serve as a model to all writers of technical books.
96 best book on C
Any serious C programmer should own this book. It may not be you first book in C if you have never programmed before (even then I suggest you try to start with this book, it definitely pays off). This book is comprehensive and straight to the point. And very accurate -- you'd be amazed by how many C books out there that are just plain wrong, either because the authors don't know what they are talking about or they bend the concepts to make them more accessible -- always a bad idea.First part of the book is a tutorial-style introduction to the C language. Definitely read each chapter more than once if you are just learning to program. The exercises are excellent, and answers are provided in a separate volume. Even if you solve the problem, still take a look at the answers. You pick up clear and efficient style by looking at good code. Remember some of the subtlties talked about in the book you will not get until you are much more experienced with C.
Get this book. It's expensive, but worth it.
97 Accept no substitutes
Boy, does this book ever take me back. The first edition of this book was the first book about computers I had ever read. I had an Apple IIe, a C development environment (on 6 floppy disks, which had to be swapped in and out while building), and was trying to teach myself to program. I mostly understood what I was reading - until I got to the section about pointers, which I found incomprehensible. I just couldn't figure it out, until I was reading another book about the Apple II, which explained how the video system worked - then I got the idea that if I took a pointer and set it to video buffer, I could change what was displayed on the screen. Voila, it worked, and I was started on a profession that lasted to this day.I still have that first edition, and years later, in 1988, when the second edition was published, I bought that. Well, there hasn't been a third edition, nor has one been needed. C is essentially a finished product. It does what it was made to do, which was to fill a role that didn't exist at the time of its creation, a language that could be used for both systems and applications programming. At that time assembly language was used for systems programming, and languages like COBOL, FORTRAN, or Pascal were used for applications programming. C could be used for both, and the rift between systems programming languages and applications programming languages was healed, at least until recently (applications programming has largely migrated to C++, while systems programming is still largely done in C).
If you want to do systems programming, you just need to learn C. But what if you want to do applications programming? Is it still worth your while to learn C? Well, yes. Here are some reasons why: First, C++ (and Java too, for that matter) are derived from C and are easier to learn once you know C - in fact, C++ is essentially a superset of C, to learn C++ you need to learn pretty much all of C anyway. Second, there are still a lot of C programs around, it is handy to be able to work on them should the need arise. Third, programming examples pretty much everywhere are routinely written in C. Fourth, C is just a neat language in its own right in which to write code; it is small and easy to learn, lends itself to small, fast code, and is available in almost every development environment.
So, if you are going to learn C, should you get this book?
For the first edition, the answer was easy because the book at that time not only taught people to program the language, it was the authoritative definition of the language - you would have been foolish to attempt to learn the language without it.
For this edition, that is not necessarily true - in fact, the book cover now refers to "ANSI C", as ANSI has taken over defining the language standard, which the first edition of this book had formerly filled. In one sense, "K & R", as it has been known through the years, is now just another book about C. But in another sense, this book still is C - you can put the first edition and this one side by side (I have both before me now - the first edition is battered and worn, but otherwise very like the second), and be amazed at how similar the two are. Not many changes were made to the language definition between the two editions (all of them good ones), so there was little need to rewrite because of content changes. Most of the changes were for clarity - the chapter on pointers, which gave me so much trouble so many years ago, was the only one completely re-done for the second edition and is much the better for it.
So what does this book have that other C programming books do not? Authority. History. Community. The creator of the language wrote this book. For over two decades programmers have learned the language from this book. This is the book that you are more likely to share with other programers than any other. In sum, if you are interested in learning C programming, it should be an easy decision to go ahead and get this book.
98 The Only Essential C Book
The first time software development ever really scared me was working through the exercises in this book on my old XT clone. I discovered that I "thought" in C already. The language packaged the constructs which I had been translating into FORTRAN at work.I already knew Pascal, FORTRAN, BASIC, and assembler, so I wasn't a virgin programmer. But The C Programming Language turned my life around--it handed me a language which naturally mapped to the way I thought through programming problems. Working the exercises in this book not only taught me the C language, but it also tightened up my programming style.
The book begins in a non-threatening manner, and walks the reader through the basics of software creation in C. From the simple, classic "hello world" program to useful utilities, this book makes software creation seem easy. It teaches not only the C language, but also the discipline of writing quality code.
99 Classic
I've recently re-read this after several years. If you have a serious programming language under your belt (and Visual Basic doesn't fall under that heading), this slim volume may well be the only book on C that you will ever need. There are numerous examples and exercises throughout the book. There are also suggestions and examples of sensible coding standards.The book begins with a brief, thirty page tutorial on core C functionality. What's surprising is that by the end of this chapter, one can write moderately interesting C programs. Following chapters cover various areas in more depth. For example, the sixth chapter covers pointers and arrays. This is an area that many new programmers find difficult. The authors provide a lucid, detailed discussion and an algorithm written in C for understanding complex declarations like:
char (*(*x[3])())[5];
That is, x is an array[3] of pointer to function returning pointer to array[5] of char. Of course, one would rarely see such a declaration in practice, but it is important to be able to understand such declarations.
The standard library is used throughout and is summarized in an appendix. Some of the examples and exercises indicate how some standard library functions might be written in C.
As the authors say, "C has proven to be an extremely effective and expressive language for a wide variety of programming applications." This book is an excellent learning source and reference on C.
100 Well done and concise
This is a concise explanation and exploration of the C language. It's examples are pulled from the standard C libraries or from UNIX itself. I am an experienced Java programmer that needed to quickly learn enough C to use the Palm API to develop a handheld application. I just finished this book, downloaded the GNU-PRC Tools IDE, and hope to get a test Palm app running in a few hours.
I recommend this book, but please keep in mind it's purpose - this book is designed for individuals with an understanding of programming basics.
