C For Dummies, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

~ Dan Gookin (Author) "As the most useful device you have ever used, a computer can become anything-as long as you have the ability to program it..." (more)
Key Phrases: earn folder, type the preceding source code, void seedrnd, Desk Reference For Dummies, Dan Gookin, Bell Labs (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Find out how to tell your computer what to do

Design and develop programs, compile and link code, fix problems, and more

Come "C" what all the excitement’s about! C programs are fast, concise, and versatile, and you’ll be writing them in no time. This friendly book unlocks the mysteries of coding, compiling, adding comments, and using keywords, I/O, variables, integers, and all the rest. You’ll write your first C program before you finish Chapter 1!

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

Discover how to:

• Understand the entire program development cycle
• Link code to create executable programs
• Debug and deploy your programs
• Use floats, integer variables, and if statements
• Write functions and use loops

From the Back Cover

Find out how to tell your computer what to do

Design and develop programs, compile and link code, fix problems, and more

Come "C" what all the excitement’s about! C programs are fast, concise, and versatile, and you’ll be writing them in no time. This friendly book unlocks the mysteries of coding, compiling, adding comments, and using keywords, I/O, variables, integers, and all the rest. You’ll write your first C program before you finish Chapter 1!

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

Discover how to:

• Understand the entire program development cycle
• Link code to create executable programs
• Debug and deploy your programs
• Use floats, integer variables, and if statements
• Write functions and use loops

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 2 edition (May 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764570684
• ISBN-13: 978-0764570681
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #211,217 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The C Book for the newbie, March 31, 2005

By	Ranjan Mitra "Rm" (India) - See all my reviews

You want to learn C? or even thinking of it? Buy this book. Maybe you have heard or suggested of other books and authors but Dan Gookins gentle hand holding way of teaching is unbeatable and his humorous approach is unputdownable.Even a person with no previous knowledge of programming can learn the language surprisingly fast and quick. Buy this book.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars this should be your first beginners programming book, September 22, 2005

By	Brad - See all my reviews

A common mistake for people teaching themselves C++ programming is to start out with "C++ for Dummies" or "Teach Yourself C++ in 21 days". Those books will leave you confused and fustrated. This is the book you should start out with, dont get into OOP till you have a handle on structured programming syntax. This book will guide you through all of the confusing concepts painlessly and only teach you what you need to know to get past the initial confusion of writing code. I should warn you though that this book does not cover many of the advanced concepts of C like pointers and linked lists and that you are better off buying "C All-In-One Desk Reference for Dummies" by the same author which will give you more complete coverage of the C language than this book.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good starting point, but then..., January 7, 2009

By	D. Sauer "f2x" (Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm not a programmer or "coder", but I do know the basic ideas behind programming. That aside, my attention tends to wander when learning new things, and sometimes a little light entertainment can go a long way. When I wanted to learn to use the C programming language and thought I'd give the "Dummies" offering a try.

Here's the things that it covers well:
Where to get a decent (and free) C compiler.
The program's basic structure and syntax.
Putting text on a standard text screen. (Think DOS or CLI)
Getting input from the keyboard.
Introducing you to the basic variable types.
Doing some basic math with numeric variables.
Doing program branching with numeric variables.
Doing program branching with single character variables.
Looping.

Now for the bad news...
Do not expect to be able to learn any of the following:
Read or write to the file system.
Concatenate or otherwise manipulate string variables.
Perform program branching using string variables.
Gain a proficient understanding to write anything that is actually useful.
Access any other system hardware or software such as the mouse, the internet, graphics, other running programs, etc...

There was one aspect I felt was very annoying. About halfway through the book, the author starts to plug his other book, "C All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies" for information that he isn't going to cover in this book, and it gets more and more intrusive as the humor winds down, and the book drones on. Of course if you're willing to be seen reading a book marketed towards "dummies" you can probably expect to be played as one too.

All in all, I do feel this book has merit and makes for a good starting point. It has immensely helped me to understand the C programming language, and I can comprehend the basic ideas. It was worth the time and money even though I was expecting to achieve more practical results before I started.