The C Programming Language (2nd Edition) [Paperback]

This masterful tour of C features concentrates on essential programming constructs, from the basics--such as data types, variables, operators and flow control--to more advanced topics. Short, effective programming samples are the rule here. (Many samples work with strings and text files). Along the way, the authors don't shy away from the thornier C topics. For example, when discussing pointers, they look at pointers to pointers and even pointers to functions. Later in the book, they offer useful code for a flexible memory allocation scheme and a binary tree. The text concludes with the formal specification for C and a compact listing of the functions in the C standard header files.

C is still a great first programming language, and its influence is felt in Java and C++, both of which support many programming constructs based on C, while adding support for objects. The C Programming Language is still an excellent reference to one of our most successful and efficient programming languages. It's a book that deserves a place on the bookshelf of any C/C++ developer, regardless of your experience with the language. --Richard Dragan, Amazon.com

Topics covered:

• overview of ANSI C
• introductory language tutorial
• data types
• variables
• arrays
• operators and operator precedence
• flow control
• functions
• header files
• recursion
• macros and the C pre-processor
• pointers and arrays
• advanced pointer types (pointers to pointers, pointers to functions)
• multidimensional arrays
• structures and unions
• dynamic memory allocation
• console and file I/O
• UNIX file functions
• Formal description of the standard C language
• Reference to C standard library header files and functions

This second editon describes C as defined by the ANSI standard. This book is meant to help the reader learn how to program in C. The book assumes some familiarity with basic programming concepts like variables, assignment statements, loops, and functions. A novice programmer should be able to read along and pick up the language.

This book is meant to help the reader learn how to program in C. It is the definitive reference guide, now in a second edition. Although the first edition was written in 1978, it continues to be a worldwide best-seller. This second edition brings the classic original up to date to include the ANSI standard.

From the Preface:

We have tried to retain the brevity of the first edition. C is not a big language, and it is not well served by a big book. We have improved the exposition of critical features, such as pointers, that are central to C programming. We have refined the original examples, and have added new examples in several chapters. For instance, the treatment of complicated declarations is augmented by programs that convert declarations into words and vice versa. As before, all examples have been tested directly from the text, which is in machine-readable form.

As we said in the first preface to the first edition, C "wears well as one's experience with it grows." With a decade more experience, we still feel that way. We hope that this book will help you to learn C and use it well.

Brian W. Kernighan works in the Computing Science Research Center at Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies. He is Consulting Editor for Addison-Wesley's Professional Computing Series and the author, with Dennis Ritchie, of The C Programming Language.

Dennis Ritchie was a computer scientist notable for his influence on ALTRAN, B, BCPL, C, Multics, and Unix.