Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ncar!unmvax!uokmax!kllove From: kllove@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu (Kenneth L Love) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: The language named C Message-ID: <1991Apr12.054754.7583@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu> Date: 12 Apr 91 05:47:54 GMT Organization: Engineering Computer Network, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK Lines: 41 This summer I'm going to be teaching myself how to program in C. My biggest (and brightest?) question is: "Which version of C is the best?". I realize that many factors could influence my (or someone else's) opinion. So, I'm going to list a few. The code must be somewhat portable between systems (i.e. Is there a standard and how far do the ST versions diverge from it?) The company support must be existant. {I think that is self-explanatory.} Are there good books available for the learning of this version of C? (Or would any book on C be sufficient?) Would it be better if I knew something about the internals of the ST? (Is C like Pascal in that knowing the system hardware is uneccesary?) If I am fluent in Pascal, how difficult is C to learn? (Are they different conceptually? i.e. pointers = what in C? Does C have some things that Pascal doesn't? etc.) Is Turbo C going to be released in English? (I have NO desire to learn German, especially if all I was going to do with it was work with Turbo.) What kind of editor do the various versions use? (I like 'vi' over 'ed' anyday! :) (Is the mouse supported?) Does C use anything like a CLI or is it GEM only? (I use 'csh' on the Unix system here at Okla. U. Does C use a shell like 'csh'?) Can I use any of the versions of C without a hard drive? (I don't have one and it may be next fall before I do get one.) How much does the language(s) and book(s) cost? That's all I can think of. (I think I hear cries of, "Isn't that enough?"... Nahhh... Couldn't be! :) adTHANKSvance, Kenneth Love