Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!mcsun!ukc!strath-cs!duncan
From: duncan@cs.strath.ac.uk (Duncan N Smeed)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: C text
Message-ID: <6253@baird.cs.strath.ac.uk>
Date: 8 Apr 91 09:12:51 GMT
References: <5254@ns-mx.uiowa.edu>
Organization: Comp. Sci. Dept., Strathclyde Univ., Scotland.
Lines: 54

In article <5254@ns-mx.uiowa.edu> bonak@herky.cs.uiowa.edu (Esmail Bonakdarian) writes:
>
>I recently received a copy of "C A Software Engineering Approach" by
>Darnell and Margolis (Springer Verlag) and it looks pretty good. Does
>anybody have any experience with this book (or can recommend any other
>book) for an introductory course in programming with C?
>
I have been using this book for a third year class for the past
three years.  Although not an introductory class (the students
have already done two years of Pascal) in programming it is
suitable as a 'conversion' text.  Since you used to use K&R I
assume your students are being 'converted' too ;-). 

In fact, I have been using the first edition which was called 'Software
Engineering in C' and it would appear that the second edition is
really just a book title change which more accurately relects the
tenet of the book.  I.e. it's not really a text about software
engineering at all.

I looked at innumerable text books on C before deciding on this
one.  I like it for a number of reasons.  Firstly it covered ANSI
C (remember I adopted it 3 years ago) by means of 'greyed-out'
boxes of ANSI Features contrasting the K&R standard.  Secondly, it
offers Bug Alert 'boxes' that highlight common mistakes made by
novice (and even experienced ;-)) C programmers.  Thirdly, it is
obviously written by expert C programmers yet in a style which
allows anyone familiar with another high-level language to
'convert' relatively painlessly.  Fourthly, the authors have
provided a full listing of a C Interpreter in an Appendix that
serves to reinforce the concepts that they have been expounding.
Fifthly, the students' copies rapidly become 'dog-eared'
suggesting that they refer to the book constantly and their
feedback on the text has been favourable.  Finally, it is good
value for money with over 600 pages at a reasonable price.

In short, thoroughly recommended.

>Thanks,
>Esmail

My pleasure,
		Duncan

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