Xref: utzoo comp.lang.c:36070 comp.misc:11437 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!yoyo.aarnet.edu.au!sirius.ucs.adelaide.edu.au!levels!marwk From: marwk@levels.sait.edu.au Newsgroups: comp.lang.c,comp.misc Subject: Re: Can Novices Jump Directly in C? (Books) Message-ID: <15885.27b91b31@levels.sait.edu.au> Date: 13 Feb 91 10:55:45 GMT References: <1991Feb6.121722.1@hulaw1.harvard.edu> <39182@cup.portal.com> Organization: University of South Australia Lines: 52 In article <39182@cup.portal.com>, ekalenda@cup.portal.com (Edward John Kalenda) writes: > peregrin@hulaw1.harvard.edu writes: >> Can anyone recommend an introduction to programming book that uses C? >> I'm not referring to C-For-Pascal-Programmers etc. kind of books. I'm aware >> that most introduction to programming books use Pascal, Basic, or Scheme as >> their language, but I haven't seen anybooks that start a novice out directly >> with C. > > I must differ with all the other postings about C being a poor language > for the first time programmer to learn. It is a complicated language, > IF you dump all the features on the student at once. I have successfully > taught several people with NO programming experience the C language. The > trick is to convince them the computer will not do what you want it to do, > only what you tell it, and you must tell it in GREAT detail. > > Most of the time I only use the K&R white book and the runtime reference > manual that goes with the compiler in use. "Learning to Program in C" by > Thomas Plum (Plum Hall, Inc. ISBN 0-911537-00-7) is not bad. > > Teach them the basic constructs, add structures about 2/3 through the class, > spend the last two weeks discussing the power features like pointer > arithmatic (sp?), passing addresses of scalers to functions, hardware > details like short/int/long relative sizes, unions, typedefs, pre-processor > macros, and mixed language programming. They can always get into the stuff > that will confuse them in an intermediate C class. > > Ed > ekalenda@cup.portal.com K&R has got to be the worst book for learning C for a beginner that I have seen! I used it to advance my knowledge, but it gave me headaches years ago when I wanted to learn the language. The book by KELLY and POHL: TUBO C: The Essentials of C programming is one of the best I have ever seen (for the beginner). Its method of explaining programs by dissection is excellent - voluminous details for each line a program. The problems in each chapter are nice and easy adn complement the chapters extremely well. There is no need to use TURBO C as there is very little that pertains to it specifically. I believe there is also a product-nonspecific book available too. Ray -- University of South Australia | Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. P.O. Box 1 | Ghing thien me how, ming thien gung me how. Ingle Farm | Knobs, knobs everywhere, South Australia | just vary a knob to think!