A good set of books for a beginner learning to program.

[Knowledge2012]

Hi, im looking at some books right now on amazon on C programming. I am looking for a set of books + software that will guide me from a beginner to more complex. I dont realy care if its a book with windows based software, i just need something to guide me from the basics to advanced. I was hoping some one else might have tried to do the same thing, or know of a set of books that could help me out.

[truNWA]

Well i have no book recomendations but if i were you i would go with learning C++, it's the successor of C and in my oppinion, it's easier to learn.

[unbuntu]

Hi, im looking at some books right now on amazon on C programming. I am looking for a set of books + software that will guide me from a beginner to more complex. I dont realy care if its a book with windows based software, i just need something to guide me from the basics to advanced. I was hoping some one else might have tried to do the same thing, or know of a set of books that could help me out.

You do know you can check out book lists created by amazon customers on their site right? Here's one. There are some others beside this one you might want to read.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/guides/guide-display/-/2L9ULOL6YQWUO/ref=cm_bg_guides/103-8746238-6795006

If you do not have prior programming experience, I don't think learning C is a good idea. You may want to learn Python or Java. If you do, that's another story then.

[woedend]

i think learning C or C++ is a great idea. You'll either love it or hate it. I know a lot of people who preferred assembly over C(eck). At the time I was into it, I was using basic which looked a lot cleaner and much easier to me so I gave up on it, but I'm thinking about giving it another go. The For Dummies books are a good starting point, and make things interesting. Keep in mind a lot of books are going to include MS type lib calls, but you'll learn the ins and outs either way.

[Lovechild]

I'd admit I got a lot out of Sams Teach yourself C++ for Linux in 21 days, it explains the concepts nicely and works well as a reference. Also all the code examples work with GCC so you can test them directly without any adaptation.

[Knowledge2012]

I have many C and C++ books that i have aquired online, BUT, where i get stuck is getting a program to run the code, Does ubuntu have a program that i can get from the repository's that would allow me to start compiling code? because if that is possible then i dont need to spend my money on buying books + software online. If not, i need to find a book that offers software aswell because learning the language isnt possible if i cant test and run it.

[unbuntu]

I have many C and C++ books that i have aquired online, BUT, where i get stuck is getting a program to run the code, Does ubuntu have a program that i can get from the repository's that would allow me to start compiling code? because if that is possible then i dont need to spend my money on buying books + software online. If not, i need to find a book that offers software aswell because learning the language isnt possible if i cant test and run it.

Please quote if you're replying to a previous post.

IMO, C++ is even more complex than C. I wouldn't recommend learning either of them if you're a beginner. I actually started learning programming in C by myself. I didn't use Linux back then, and what I had was Borland C compiler (and IDE as well). But all I learned was basic programming flow and a tiny bit of data structure and algorithm. In that sense, C/C++ is great for they have succinct grammar. But you can learn these pretty much from Java anyways. But the C programming language isn't just about printf("Hello World\n"). Much of the "ugly" stuff is "cruel" to a new programmer.

Well...it's just my personal experience anyway. But a serious programmer will get into C eventually, so maybe woedend is right, either love it or hate it.

[Knowledge2012]

I thhink i will have a look at the Sams teach yourself c++ in 21 days. Looks good.

[Knowledge2012]

Please quote if you're replying to a previous post.

IMO, C++ is even more complex than C. I wouldn't recommend learning either of them if you're a beginner. I actually started learning programming in C by myself. I didn't use Linux back then, and what I had was Borland C compiler (and IDE as well). But all I learned was basic programming flow and a tiny bit of data structure and algorithm. In that sense, C/C++ is great for they have succinct grammar. But you can learn these pretty much from Java anyways. But the C programming language isn't just about printf("Hello World\n"). Much of the "ugly" stuff is "cruel" to a new programmer.

Well...it's just my personal experience anyway. But a serious programmer will get into C eventually, so maybe woedend is right, either love it or hate it.

ive heard that java is like a.... hmmm, how do i put it. Well basicaly its a simpler form a C++, the thing is i dont want to start learning code and then not understand the fundamentals of programming, if that makes sense.

[Knowledge2012]

I'd admit I got a lot out of Sams Teach yourself C++ for Linux in 21 days, it explains the concepts nicely and works well as a reference. Also all the code examples work with GCC so you can test them directly without any adaptation.

I didnt know they had it for linux!?!?! im going to have to check that out.

[IYY]

If you want to learn C, there's one book that's so famous that it has its own Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_C_Programming_Language_%28book%29

It's a great book to learn from, and to keep as reference when you become a pro.

[vayu]

If you want to learn C, there's one book that's so famous that it has its own Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_C_Programming_Language_%28book%29

It's a great book to learn from, and to keep as reference when you become a pro.


It's a perfect start, from the source and simple/pure.