Programming in C

by Stephen Kochan

Overview

Learn the C programming language from one of the best. Stephen Kochan's Programming in C is thorough with easy-to-follow instructions that are sure to benefit beginning programmers. This book provides readers with practical examples of how the C programming language can be used with small, fast programs, similar to the programming used by large game developers such as Nintendo. If you want a one-stop-source for C programming, this book is it.The book is appropriate for all introductory-to-intermediate courses on programming in the C language, including courses covering C programming for games and small-device platforms.

Programming in C, Third Edition is a thoroughly revised and updated edition of Steven Kochan's classic C programming tutorial: a book that has helped thousands of students master C over the past twenty years. This edition fully reflects the latest C standard and contains current source code. It has been crafted to help students master C regardless of the platform they intend to use or the applications they intend to create -- including small-device and gaming applications, where C's elegance and speed make it especially valuable.

Kochan begins with the fundamentals, then covers every facet of C language programming: variables, data types, arithmetic expressions, program looping, making decisions, arrays, functions, structures, character strings, pointers, operations on bits, the preprocessors, I/O, and more. Coverage also includes chapters on working with larger programs; debugging programs; and the fundamentals of object-oriented programming. Appendices include a complete language summary, an introduction to the Standard C Library, coverage of compiling and running programs using gcc, common programming mistakes, and more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780672331411
Publisher:	Pearson Education
Publication date:	07/08/2004
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	576
File size:	16 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Stephen Kochan has been developing software with the C programming language for over 20 years. He is the author and coauthor of several bestselling titles on the C language, including Programming in C, Programming in ANSI C, Topics in C Programming and several Unix titles, including Exploring the Unix System, Unix Shell Programming and Unix System Security. Mr. Kochan's most recent title, Programming in Objective-C, is a tutorial on an object-oriented programming language that is based on C.

Read an Excerpt

Preface: Programming in CProgramming in CPreface

It's hard to believe that 20 years have passed since I first wrote Programming in C. At that time the Kernighan & Ritchie book The C Programming Language was the only other book on the market. How times have changed!

When talk about an ANSI C standard emerged in the early 1980s, this book was split into two titles: The original was still called Programming in C, and the title that covered ANSI C was called Programming in ANSI C. This was done because it took several years for the compiler vendors to release their ANSI C compilers and for them to become ubiquitous. I felt it was too confusing to try to cover both ANSI and non-ANSI C in the same tutorial text, thus the reason for the split.

The ANSI C standard has changed several times since the first standard was published in 1989. The latest version, called C99, is the major reason for this edition. This edition addresses the changes made to the language as a result of that standard.

In addition to covering C99 features, this book also includes two new chapters. The first discusses debugging C programs. The second offers a brief overview of the pervasive field of object-oriented programming, or OOP. This chapter was added because several popular OOP languages are based on C: C++, C#, Java, and Objective-C.

For those who have stayed with this text through the years, I am sincerely grateful. The feedback I have received has been enormously gratifying. It remains my main motivation for continuing to write today.

For newcomers, I welcome your input and hope that this book satisfies yourexpectations.

Stephen Kochan
June 2004
[e-mail]

© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction.

2. Some Fundamentals.

Programming. Higher-Level Languages. Operating Systems. Compiling Programs. Integrated Development Environments. Language Interpreters.

3. Compiling and Running Your First Program.

Compiling Your Program. Running Your Program. Understanding Your First Program. Displaying the Values of Variables. Comments. Exercises.

4. Variables, Data Types, and Arithmetic Expressions.

Working with Variables. Understanding Data Types and Constants. Working with Arithmetic Expressions. Combining Operations with Assignment: The Assignment Operators. Types Complex and Imaginary. Exercises.

5. Program Looping.

The for Statement. The while Statement. The do Statement. Exercises.

6. Making Decisions.

The if Statement. The switch Statement. Boolean Variables. The Conditional Operator. Exercises.

7. Working with Arrays.

Defining an Array. Initializing Arrays. Character Arrays. Multidimensional Arrays. Variable-Length Arrays. Exercises.

8. Working with Functions.

Defining a Function. Arguments and Local Variables. Returning Function Results. Functions Calling Functions Calling... Top-Down Programming. Functions and Arrays. Global Variables. Automatic and Static Variables. Recursive Functions. Exercises.

9. Working with Structures.

A Structure for Storing the Date. Functions and Structures. Initializing Structures. Arrays of Structures. Structures Containing Structures. Structures Containing Arrays. Structure Variants.Exercises.

10. Character Strings.

Arrays of Characters. Variable-Length Character Strings. Escape Characters. More on Constant Strings. Character Strings, Structures, and Arrays. Character Operations. Exercises.

11. Pointers.

Defining a Pointer Variable. Using Pointers in Expressions. Working with Pointers and Structures. The Keyword const and Pointers. Pointers and Functions. Pointers and Arrays. Operations on Pointers. Pointers to Functions. Pointers and Memory Addresses. Exercises.

12. Operations on Bits.

Bit Operators. Bit Fields. Exercises.

13. The Preprocessor.

The #define Statement. The #include Statement. Conditional Compilation. Exercises.

14. More on Data Types.

Enumerated Data Types. The typedef Statement. Data Type Conversions. Exercises.

15. Working with Larger Programs.

Dividing Your Program into Multiple Files. Communication Between Modules. Other Utilities for Working with Larger. Programs.

16. Input and Output Operations in C.

Character I/O: getchar and putchar. Formatted I/O: printf and scanf. Input and Output Operations with Files. Special Functions for Working with Files. Exercises.

17. Miscellaneous and Advanced Features.

Miscellaneous Language Statements. Working with Unions. The Comma Operator. Type Qualifiers. Command-Line Arguments. Dynamic Memory Allocation.

18. Debugging Programs.

Debugging with the Preprocessor. Debugging Programs with gdb.

19. Object-Oriented Programming.

What Is an Object Anyway? Instances and Methods. Writing a C Program to Work with Fractions. Defining an Objective-C Class to Work with Fractions. Defining a C++ Class to Work with Fractions. Defining a C# Class to Work with Fractions.

Appendix A - C Language Summary.

Digraphs and Identifiers. Comments. Constants. Data Types and Declarations. Expressions. Storage Classes and Scope. Functions. Statements. The Preprocessor.

Appendix B: The Standard C Library.

Standard Header Files. String Functions. Memory Functions. Character Functions. I/O Functions. In-Memory Format Conversion Functions. String-to-Number Conversion. Dynamic Memory Allocation Functions. Math Functions. General Utility Functions.

Appendix C: Compiling Programs with gcc.

General Command Format. Command-Line Options.

Appendix D: Common Programming Mistakes.

Appendix E: Resources.

Answers to Exercises, Errata, etc. The C Programming Language. C Compilers and Integrated Development Environments. Miscellaneous.

Index.