From: alm@doc.ic.ac.uk (Alexander L McLintock)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: c_books, long
Summary: books on C programming. lists, suggestions,
Date: 28 Jul 92 14:33:51 GMT
Organization: Department of Computing, Imperial College, University of London, UK.

Hi folks,

Some time ago I asked about C programming books.
I really wanted a reference type book and one that was Archie
specific, for example helped with RiscOS programming.
Such a book doesn't seem to exist....

I shall continue to look in the main comp.lang.c newsgroup, 
but I doubt that they will be able to help me to program 
ESG radio icons in a dialogue box....

In my local Waterstones I found three books I would consider 
buying. 
-K&R, (26.96 quid)
-C for Programmers, by Ammeraal (13.95)
-Ansi % ISO C (Complete) (14.95 !!!)
 Microsoft books,
 by PJ Plauger and J Brodie.
 
This last book looks to have everything that K&R has , but
for 12 quid less. I suspect I am going to get it.
I could not find any of the others recommended , except the Dabhand
one. 

(of course, I *could* get them somewhere in London....)

What follows is an edited selection of very helpful mail.
Thanks people. I hope you all don't mind being quoted.
(And if you do mind then you can say that I made it up.)



 -----------------------------------------------------------------

From: Greg Stewart-Nicholls <nicho@vnet.ibm.com>
 I have the Dabhand C book. It's terrible. I also have the K&R guide and it's
wonderful. I guess you get what you pay for ..

 -----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Graham Carter <GPC@newton.npl.co.uk>
I've got the Dabhand one, but my all-time favourite book on C is
"Software Engineering in C" by P A Darnell and P E Margolis, published
by Springer-Verlag, ISBN 0 387 96574 2 (3 540 96574 2) -- it is really
excellent and is full of ANSI C hints and tips.  It is also very readable.

 -----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Denis Howe <dbh@doc.ic.ac.uk>
What has this got to do with Acorn?  Try comp.lang.c.
.....

Me Again:
Well actually Denis I wanted an Archie specific one. programming
for the Wimp isn't exactly easy.
 -----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jon Harley <J.W.Harley@ncl.ac.uk>
K&R is THE C bible.
 Originally I bought "C at a Glance" by
Denning, but K&R is the most comprehensive book on the market, which is
worth having for a professional, I reckon.
Take care to buy a C book that deals with the flavour of C you're going
to use - many books describe "original" C (also called pcc) but Acorn's
C compiler is ANSI C which has many differences (and is, on the whole,
an improvement). There are two versions of Kernighan and Ritchie - the
ANSI C version is the second edition and has "ANSI C" stamped clearly,
in red, on the cover.

 -----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ian Kelly  kelly@minster.york.ac.uk
The book that I found most useful, and believe me I looked at many before
buying, is called `ANSI C Problem Solving and Programming' by Kenneth A. 
Barclay ISBN 0-13-037326-5. This isn't just a problem solving 
book, but a good guide to the language with plenty of examples.
costs aprox. 19 pounds.

Me Again: I think a friend of mine has this one and recommends it too.
 -----------------------------------------------------------------
From: M Y Ben Gershon <mybg@doc.ic.ac.uk>
DON'T buy the Dabhand book!

The latest version of K&R is good, and so is 'C: A reference Manual', by 
Harbison and Steele.  The latter is not so much of a tutorial as K&R, but
is very good at pointing out portability problems and differences between
ANSI/non-ANSI versions of C.  If you are interested in UNIX as well, I would
reccomend 'Advanced Unix Progeamming', by M Rochkind.  All 3 books are
published by Prentice Hall.

Me Again: 
Thanks Michael, I am waiting for Dabhand to issue court
summons for libel :-)

--------------------------------------------------------------
From: Neil Postlethwaite <neilp@cs.hw.ac.uk>

Get the Dabhand one. It is a pretty good introducation and programming
course to C. Much better than others I have seen.

Recommended.

--------------------------------------------------------------
From: D I Sales <efst03@castle.ed.ac.uk>
The training team at Edinburgh University uses "The C Book" by Mike Banahan.
I went on one of their courses and bought the book as a result.  It is both
useful for learning and for reference; it is also significantly cheaper than
K&R and H&S.  The second edition uses the Ansi standard and so is better
than the first which was based on the draft only.  I already had access to
K&R (edition 1), and found this quite good for learning but hopeless for
reference.

Note that the FAQ for comp.lang.c includes a section on books.

Me Again:
I am off to look at comp.lang.c

--------------------------------------------------------------

From: Michael Tipping <michaelt@aisb.ed.ac.uk>
..."Mastering C Programming", but I can't remember the
author's name except that it was Mc-something. It was one in a series of
"Mastering.." books in a black cover, and I have since seen it in the
shops. It's only 6.99, but then it isn't really a reference book, if
that was what you were after.

Me Again: 
Was this "Waite's" book? 
--------------------------------------------------------------

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