Re: Learning C with Older books ?.

From: Alwyn (alwyn_at_blueyonder.co.uk)
Date: 11/29/04 

Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2004 15:49:31 GMT

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 21:05:57 +0000, Francis Glassborow wrote:

> In article <clcm-20041123-0005@plethora.net>, mmmm <papa@mland.gr>
> writes
>>HI,
>>You should!!! buy the "C programming language" from Kernighan and Ritchie.
>>It's a must for everyone! An excellent book!
>
> However be aware that it makes many implicit assumptions about the
> programming environment.

Does it? I thought it only assumed a standard C compiler.

> Quite a few early implementations of C were
> based on this book

You mean on the first edition? That would be quite natural.

> with the result that necessary tool support (such as
> lint) was unknown to many who learnt C by combining this book with a
> compiler.

I haven't got my copy to hand, but I do seem to recall that they mention
'lint'. Even so, I've never used it and would hardly call it a 'necessary
tool'.

> If you are already familiar with a Unix type development environment K&R
> is excellent. If you are not, or are not using such an environment I am
> less certain.

That is your privilege, but it would be nice if you could justify your
opinion just a little bit.

> There is a wealth of bad, dangerous C code (full of
> undefined behaviour) written by people who relied on this book as their
> sole source of information on programming (in C).

If you're talking about the first edition again, then maybe, just maybe,
since the definition of the language was necessarily somewhat fluid then.
But if you're talking about the edition with 'ANSI C' stamped in red on
the cover, then I am uncomprehending. I thought Kernighan and Ritchie had
always been *the* standard text on C.

Alwyn

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Learning C with Older books ?.
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