Learning C?

[Admin]

The senior sys admin has told me he wants me to learn C. Where is the logical place to start? Just pick up a book and start reading? Get into a class or two (My work will pick up the tab for this)?

Any suggestions on classes or books would be greatly appreciated.

[redhead]

hmm Now where did I start...
Oh yes I remember I took a class named "How to write your own OS" started out with Schaums "learning C/C++" what a mistake that was. I could have written a better book even befor I started reading it.
After that I got a few useful ones, like "Unix network programming" and "C/C++ the complete language" Now I mostly rely on what I can find in the man pages.

[Valmont]

Admin,
It isn't my business actually, so please forgive me my question:
Why learning C (without the ++) in this modern age? C++ is here, and if the SYS ADMIN would like to learn a OO language for system programming then why not start C++. A transfer to Csharp will be easier as well.

Also be aware that "OO-C" is not "OO-C++".
Even if the SYS ADMIN needs to work with existing C-based programs, it is still usefull to start with C++ and learn a few C things later to understand existing C software.

Now when it comes to a starting place.
This link http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial
is a good start. As usual, it is a C++ primer, like many of them. So more training is needed, but there is almost no literature for novice programmers to let them move to intermediate level in a structural way. This board comes into view since I am (and most likely other experianced programmers) more than willing to intruoduce novice coders the (new) OO ways: patterns. A subject wich is denied sometimes but not hard at all. I can make it simple for all of you.

Whilst putting the fresh aqcuired knowledge together, the demand for "coding insights" can be forced to a higher level. I can help you (or your friend) with that as well.

So here is the logic:
Study:

• legality tutorial.
  A "legality book" is: what can you do with C++ and what don't. the basics of the language.
• morality tutorial.
  What should you do and what not? That's the question.
• Object Oriented Development tutorial.
  There is almost none for C++ unless you are a OO developer with experiance. Catch 22 situation. Large OO projects OR patien guidance is the key here.

• Legality class:
  1) Lippman and Lajoie, C++ Primer, Third Edition, ISBN 0-201-82470-1.
  2) http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial
• Morality class:
  1a) Meyers, Effective C++, Second Edition, 224 pgs, Addison-Wesley, 1998, ISBN 0-201-92488-9.
  1b) Meyers, More Effective C++, 336 pgs, Addison-Wesley, 1996, ISBN 0-201-63371-X.
• Object Oriented Design:
  1) http://home.earthlink.net\~huston2\dp\patterns.html
  2) Gamma et al., Design Patterns, 395 pgs, Addison-Wesley, 1995, ISBN 0-201-63361-2.

These I all have and dare to reccomend. I've taken the most accessable yet correct books I could find on my shelf. There is always room for discussion, but this I dare to post.
I'd like to come back to this forum you know .

[pe666o]

Unix network programming
-is the very best book you must have if you go for sys/network programming

for the C/C++ language, actualy almost any book could do the job, i.e. to give you the basics
however in order to realize fully C/C++ potential there is only one way:
start programming!!