Customer Reviews

C Pocket Reference

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

True to its name, this book packs a lot of information in a pocket size package: a solid language description, a quick reference to the C standard library covering C99 and, last but not least, an extensive index. It is well organized and concise, it explains and gives you examples. If you are a newbie to C programming looking for a tutorial, keep your hands off. If you have grasped some basics of C programming, get it and use it!

I am a computer Science Student and the one book that I take to every class is this book. It is the perfect book for quick lookup I would recomend it to anyone

I recently started using C again for the first time in over a decade, and I found that I needed to relearn it. I still have all the standard texts, including the K&R (Kernighan & Ritchie), the Kochan, and the Prata, but I needed a concise, quick reference to refresh my knowledge of syntax and usage.

This book fit the bill perfectly. It is to quick references what the K&R is to primers, a succinct text which clearly illuminates the subject without excess verbiage or other distractions.

This compact guide is not a beginner's tutorial, and is not intended to teach you the intricacies of programming in C. For this purpose there are 1000 page tomes that will do the job laudably. Even the K&R can be a useful primer for the highly motivated beginner.

However, as a condensed language reference this book provides a clear description of both the C language and the C standard library. The text, though short, is complete, and fully covers the syntax of the language and the usage of its elements. Additionally, there is a well laid out table of contents and a comprehensive index, which both simplify searching.

As a handy reference for both experienced and beginning C programmers this book excels, and I therefore give it my unqualified recommendation.

This is a great book, for the size of the book it is packed full of
C. It also covers alot of C99.

This pocket reference is good to have while you are learning the C programming language. You need some C experience to follow it, but it is not to demanding if you know a little C it is a good supplement to the book you are learning C with.

NOTE: There are a few typos in the book the cooks website lists the corrections on its confirmed errata page.

I recomend, "C All-In-One for Dummies", by Dan Gookin for a beginner to learn C.

Needed this book for a class in college, found it to be perfect for referencing C language specifics. Getting a B in the class right now with no previous C programming experience.

O'Reilly Pocket Books are known for being thorough, concise, and clear, and this one is no different. I have half a dozen on my bookshelf over a variety of subjects, and they come in handy for that occassion when you want a specific answer in short order.

Sorry I can't agree with the previous reviewers, but it must be stated that this book is written very poorly. I appreciate the concept (a compact, concise reference of the C language), but the execution is sorely lacking. For starters, there is very little sample code in the book, and only a single fully functioning program (given on p. 3). I know the book's intended to be a reference, not a thorough C tutorial, but I still believe that it would be much better if the book guided you through C language with more samples and some simple, short programs to demonstrate the concepts presented.

The most glaring problem, however is the fact that the English language used in the book itself is more impenetrable than lowest-level programming language. This stems from the fact that the book was originally written in German, and the entire text had to be translated. Sorry, to say it, but there's definitely something lost in translation. From sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph, there's no flow whatsoever--every expression is very awkward and difficult to understand, and the reader's eyes begin to glaze over after reading only a few pages.

To summarize, a book should present its concepts in a logical and easy-to-follow manner, and this book definitely does NOT do that. Avoid.