Best Book to Learn C/C++

AshD93 · 8 May 2012 at 22:52

Hi guys,

Just wondering if anyone has a book suggestion regarding learning c/c++.

I do currently learn it but I'm going to stop soon (Going to Computer Architecture) and I want to keep up with the C/get better and better at it.

I would search but there is no point and I want the most up to date answer (considering new books come out all the time).

Thanks in advance.

Ash

P.S. I use Visual Studio Pro 10 at the moment if that needs mentioning.

digipeep · 8 May 2012 at 23:15

Learned C/C++ years ago and it's a quite old book now, not sure if it's still in print.

Jamsa's C/C++ Programmer's Bible - The Ultimate Guide To C/C++ Programming.

helmet · 8 May 2012 at 23:53

Me and a bunch of classmates used this in College, I found it a very good book that explained what your were learning rather than downright syntax.

Example: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...=gbs_selected_pages&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false

Book: http://openlibrary.org/works/OL3033953W/Object_Oriented_Programming_With_C

HIH.

02goswej · 9 May 2012 at 08:28

Here's a very good book to get started: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Accelerated...353X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1336548503&sr=8-2

I used to read it on the bus into university

*And the fact one of the names on the cover is "E.Moo" is the biggest selling point tbh.

Amleto · 9 May 2012 at 08:38

make sure you get an up to date one - c++11 is out now and it is a quite a lot easier to get into.

Ricochet J · 9 May 2012 at 09:52

I tried learning C. It sucked for numerical methods. I learnt FORTRAN instead. Far easier and friendly for numerical science.

Disco Boy · 9 May 2012 at 10:35

Ricochet J said:
C. sucked
FORTRAN easier and friendly

^^^ bahahahahahahaha. Just no. FORTRAN is a pos that should basically just die. "Friendly" it is not!

uchuff · 9 May 2012 at 10:42

"C, How to program"

Lagmeister · 9 May 2012 at 11:23

Disco Boy said:
^^^ bahahahahahahaha. Just no. FORTRAN is a pos that should basically just die. "Friendly" it is not!

Nowt wrong with a little but of Fortran, its easy and lovely to progra...

sorry I couldn't keep it going there, though in all fairness a lot of numerical, scientific and legacy stuff is still written in Fortran so its good to sort of be aware of it.

Anyway to OP, it really depends on how much programming knowledge you have already and what you have experienced so far, learning a new language is a fairly simple thing if you have the background knowledge to back it up already.

If you want to continue programming, I would suggest just getting a little project of your own together and doing it in C / C++ depending on your project it doesn't have to be big or useful, just something you want to do in your spare time, books I find to be of limited use personally, unless you are in a structured learning environment.

Amleto · 9 May 2012 at 12:43

I would recommend staying away from C unless you know for certain you want to get into embedded. C++ good, C bad (for beginners, why make them suffer?).

Dave · 9 May 2012 at 13:19

Disco Boy said:
^^^ bahahahahahahaha. Just no. FORTRAN is a pos that should basically just die. "Friendly" it is not!

Much friendlier than C

FORTRAN is very useful for scientific computing, given the vast amount of libraries and functions written for it. The syntax is easier for people not experienced in programming and is barely slower than C/C++ in numerical benchmark cases of real simulations.

(just to clarify, our codes use a mix of FORTRAN, C and Python, so I'm not a total FORTRAN-fanboy!)

AshD93 · 9 May 2012 at 18:26

uchuff said:
"C, How to program"

Thanks, I'll have a look.

Lagmeister said:
Anyway to OP, it really depends on how much programming knowledge you have already and what you have experienced so far, learning a new language is a fairly simple thing if you have the background knowledge to back it up already.

If you want to continue programming, I would suggest just getting a little project of your own together and doing it in C / C++ depending on your project it doesn't have to be big or useful, just something you want to do in your spare time, books I find to be of limited use personally, unless you are in a structured learning environment.

I think a book is best. We learnt C just because we're beginners so I know it to a basic level. I used to program in PASCAL (I think its PASCAL) using Delphi but C++ is more wide stream. Thanks for the suggestion though. I do intend to start a website so I guess that is a project.

Amleto said:
I would recommend staying away from C unless you know for certain you want to get into embedded. C++ good, C bad (for beginners, why make them suffer?).

Too late

But I will get myself into C++ no doubt.

To all replies, thanks a bunch, really appreciate it. I'll look at all suggestions even if I haven't quoted them.

Chris1712 · 9 May 2012 at 19:02

C

This
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Programming-Macmillan-Master-Tony-Royce/dp/0333638514
Then This
http://www.amazon.com/C-Programming-Language-2nd-Edition/dp/0131103628

C++
If you can find it, this is awesome honestly.
http://www.amazon.com/Up-Running-C-...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336586445&sr=1-1
After that
http://www.amazon.com/The-Programmi...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336586468&sr=1-1

I personally work in embedded with C/C++ & Python. Easiest learning route is IMO C then Python (just to learn OO principles without killing yourself) and then C++.

dowie · 9 May 2012 at 19:39

http://mindview.net/Books/TICPP/ThinkingInCPP2e.html

free.....