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T060101b: C/C++ Programming Resources

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These resources are suitable for anyone who has personal use of a recent (Windows 10 or later) desktop PC system and wants to engage in self-study for C/C++ Programming. This is an useful foundation for becoming involved in commercial and open-source projects targeted to the Microsoft Windows platform.

An odd proclivity in books and courses is the extensive reliance on *nix (Unix and Linux) tools which seems to be out of balance with the overwhelming prevalence of Microsoft and Apple desktop personal computers. For C Language and its portable application, crossing among platforms is not that difficult except for differences in nomenclature and operational details. The overall principles are comparable.

Reliance on freely-available Microsoft tools here is strictly a matter of the author’s familiarity and preferences. Featuring a single platform’s technology is helpful in providing concrete focus. There are no ideological claims. With practice, one can adapt what is learned across technologies. Use what works for you.

This is not a comprehensive selection. Some were selected after a bookstore crawl. Others turn up in Internet searches.

For more exotic topics, such as working with the Microsoft Component Object Model (COM) and building applications for the Microsoft Windows Graphical User Interface (GUI), cloud-based apps, and specialized devices (including smartphones), advanced materials are required. See material on Tools, Dev, and Skills for additional coverage.

1. Books

The amount of printed material focused specifically on C Language has diminished along with the popularity of C++ and more-recent programming-language developments. Some materials featuring C++ start with what counts as Clean C, but appeal to the popular interest in C++ in the title and nomenclature.

Older printed books can still be found in libraries and also on sale as used books. The use of electronic versions other than PDF forms is not recommended. Formulas and code examples have been reported to be transformed incorrectly in non-PDF electronic editions.

[Harbison2002] C, A Reference Manual

Harbison, Samuel P. III., Steele, Guy L. Jr. C, A Reference Manual, Ed.5. Prentice-Hall (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: 2002). ISBN 0-13-089592-X pbk.

I find this the most comprehensive and understandable reference available on the C Language. Not written as a programming text, it is a reference manual that also has examples and exercises. The exemplary material is non-trivial, making nuances of the language more apparent and encouraging stronger understanding.

This edition is current with ISO/IEC 9899:1999 (C99). It also introduces and emphasizes Clean C for the quality it encourages and also for its consistency with C++. The International Standard for C Language has continued to be updated, and compilers might also support the 2011 (C11) and 2017 (C17) updates even as developers cling to C99 as the gold standard. It is unfortunate that no supplement of this book has been undertaken to address C11 and beyond.

[Kernighan1988] The C Programming Language

Kernighan, Brian W., Ritchie, Dennis M. The C Programming Language, Second Edition. Prentice-Hall (Englewood Cliffs NJ: 1988) ISBN 0-13-110362-8 pbk.

This edition updates the original 1978 publication to be entirely in “ANSI C,” also known as C89 ANSI X3.159-1989 and the identical C90, ISO/IEC 9899:1990. The full progression is captured on Wikipedia topic ANSI C.

This book, affectionately known as K&R, is a testament to the longevity of the C Language and how today Clean C is “unrecognizably different” to borrow a prediction made about the evolution of FORTRAN language. The examples can be adjusted to Clean C in most cases. Historically important, this book is supplanted as a reference by [Harbison2002].

[McGrath2018] C Programming in Easy Steps

McGrath, Mike. C Programming in Easy Steps: grasp the nuts and bolts of programming, ed.5. In Easy Steps Limited (Warwickshire, UK: 2018). ISBN 978-1-84078-840-2 pbk. Book description and source-code downloads available at In Easy Steps.

Based on an earlier edition, this is a perfect book for getting started in C Programmng. There are examples to work every step of the way, focusing on C Language for learning the basic concepts. The examples are illustrated using the GCC compiler. Adjustment for Microsoft Visual C/C++ is easily made.

[Plauger1992] The Standard C Library

Plauger, P.J. The Standard C Library. Prentice-Hall (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: 1992) ISBN 0-13-131509-9 pbk.

This is based on the C89 standard, quoting the standard as it unravels each C Language standard header file. That makes it comprehensive although not current with the additions made in subsequent ISO Standards.

[Prata2014] C Primer Plus

Prata, Stephen. C Primer Plus, ed.6. Addison-Wesley (Upper Saddle River, NJ: 2014). A Developer’s Library reference. ISBN 978-0-321-77640-2.

This extensive book is current with the ISO C11 Standard. At over 1000 pages, this is a leisurely and extensive tour of C Language with numerous examples. There are exercises with back-of-the-book solutions. There is no explicit attention to Clean C, although good practices are recommended and applied. Appendix B is a 100 page Reference Section with an useful account of the language, the libraries, and coverage of the C99 and C11 enhancements.

[Prinz2003] C Pocket Reference

Prinz, Peter., Kirch-Prinz, Ulla. C Pocket Reference. Translated by Tony Crawford. O’Reilly Media (Sebastopol, CA: 2003). 134pp. ISBN 0-596-00436-2 pbk. Originally published in German as “C kurz & gut” (short and good), I found this thumbnail convenient, with an organization that is easy for me to find material in. Lately, I find myself using on-line materials.

[Seacord2020] Effective C

Seacord, Robert C. Effective C: An Introduction to Professional C Programming. No Starch Press (San Francisco: 2020). ISBN 1-7185-0104-8 pbk.

Also described as “A detailed introduction to the C programming language for experience programmers,” this book is offered as an introduction to the C language and meant to be accessible to anyone who wants to learn C programming without the bad habits that some introductory books might encourage.

It is often helpful to have more than one reference source, including on-line ones, obtaining useful clarity through multiple perspectives. For example, there is a quite different approach to “Getting to Hello” in this book.

[Shaw2016] Learn C the Hard Way

Shaw, Zed A. Learn C the Hard Way: Practical Exercises on the Computational Subjects You Keep Avoiding (Like C). Addison-Wesley (New York: 2016) ISBN 0-321-88492-2 pbk with DVD-ROM. I admire the emphasis on defensive programming and other ways to better understand what programs, and the programmer, are doing. There also are aspects that give me pause.

2. Online Resources

[CProg2023] C Programming

various authors. “C Programming”. Wikibooks, version of 2023-04-22, Available on the Internet at https://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?title=C_Programming&oldid=4282935 accessed on 2023-06-23.

This is more extensive and also more demanding than [LittleC2022]. Although intended to be comprehensive, this document completely misses the availability of free-to-use versions of Visual Studio and the Visual Studio Build Tools used throughout nfoTools. All of the code development examples employ the GCC compiler and build tools. That is certainly an option.

I find there to be too much expected by way of tacit understanding of computer lore to have this material be easily understood. Take a look. It might work for you. There is also the option of downloading a PDF that might be useful in conjunction with other materials.

[Huss1997] The C Library Reference Guide

Huss, Eric. The C Library Reference Guide. Preserved on the Internet Archive at https://web.archive.org/web/20150118141700/http://www.acm.uiuc.edu/webmonkeys/book/c_guide/index.html accessed on 2023-07-20. This is a summary of C Language in the C89 era. With the nice table-of-content, it is a handy quick reference.

Some of the statements are a bit iffy. For example, 1.7.3 on #include is not eddifying. It helps to double-check with another source if any doubt is raised or you find that the behavior you see in your own code doesn’t agree.

[Jaeschke2022] Portability and the C Language

Jaeschke, Rex. Portability and the C Language, ed.2. Wikibooks edition (January 2022). Available on the Internet at https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Portability_and_the_C_Language, accessed on 2023-06-01.

This book is entirely focused on portability considerations and much about how to achieve it in a given setting under particular conditions. As such, this is not a reference on C Language, although there is much that can be learned with respect to portability and where the C Language standards have something to say that requires understanding/consideration. There is identification of some nasty pitfalls, such as accidental use of sequences that happen to be recognized as trigraphs by some compilers. There are many more hiccups identified here.

[LibC2023] C Standard Library

various authors. “C Standard Library”. Wikipedia, 2023-04-28 revision, Available on the Internet at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_standard_library, accessed on 2023-06-23.

This is a handy account of the Standard C Library along with its evolution in the progression of ISO and POSIX specifications for the C Library. There is a fair amount of cross-referencing to other Wikipedia pages for details.

[LittleC2022] A Little C Primer

various authors. “A Little C Primer”. Wikibooks, version of 2022-05-16, accessed on the Internet on 2023-06-23 at https://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?title=A_Little_C_Primer&stableid=4059232.

This is exactly what the title says. The examples are not entirely in Clean C although they remain informative. The approach should be considered casual, and there are some statements that might be misleading if taken literally. In this and perhaps all cases, it is useful to have more than one source to check whether one answers some questions you are left with from another. A PDF can be downloaded for convenience.

[Lysator1999] Programming in C

Lysator. Programming in C. Lysator Academic Computer Association, (Linköping University, Sweden: 1999 October 9). Web page available on the Internet at http://www.lysator.liu.se/c/ accessed on 2023-06-18.

This is an extensive, though dated, compilation of web resources on C Language standards, programming, and the culture around it.

[Microsoft2021] C Language Reference

Microsoft Corporation. C Language Reference. Microsoft Learn Documentation, available on the Internet at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/c-language/c-language-reference, accessed on 2023-06-01. This on-line material can also be downloaded in PDF format.

The description is specific to C89 as implemented by Microsoft with Microsoft extensions and with a nod to Microsoft’s support for C11 and C17.

[Microsoft2022a] Walkthrough: Compile a C Program on the Command Line

Microsoft Corporation. Walkthrough: Compile a C Program on the Command Line. Microsoft Learn Documentation available on the Internet at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/build/walkthrough-compile-a-c-program-on-the-command-line, accessed on 2023-06-01.

This is anothere take on Getting to Hello with a bit more Visual Studio lore for contrast with the version here and also in [Seacord2020].

[Microsoft2022b] C Language Documentation

Microsoft Corporation. C Language Documentation. Microsoft Learn Documentation available on the Internet at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/c-language/, accessed on 2013-06-01.

This is the overall coverage, including [Microsoft2021] and [Microsoft2022a]. There is extensive documentation of the Microsoft toolset for C Language.

[SC22N1570] ISO/IEC C11 Draft

International Standard ISO/IEC 9899:201x Committee Draft N1570 (SC22 WG14: April 12, 2011). PDF available on the Internet at https://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg14/www/docs/n1570.pdf, accessed 2023-06-02.

This is the final draft for ISO Standard C11. It is not the authoritative version of the standard. At 701 pages, it exemplifies the complexity of the International Standards process and capture of so many fine details. Anything found here must be considered unofficial (though likely). The advantage of the PDF format, in this case, is the ability to search the document using a standard PDF viewer. You’ll find answers aplenty to questions you didn’t know you had.

3. Courses

For on-line courses, it is valuable to always look at the syllabus and any free videos that are provided with the course descriptions. I suggest this for free courses and paid courses as well. It should be possible to determine in advance what tools are required/featured, if any.

[Nazif2022] 10 Best Free C Programming Courses

Nazif, Elham. 10 Best Free C Programming Courses to Take in 2023. (Class Central: 2022-06-20), available on the Internet at https://www.classcentral.com/report/best-free-c-programming-courses/, accessed 2023-06-03.

[CC2023] Free Online C Programming Courses

Class Central Report, with 207 courses listed as of 2023-06-03. Available on the Internet at https://www.classcentral.com/subject/c-programming.

[Udemy2023] 10,000 results for “C Language”

Udemy search at https://www.udemy.com/courses/search/?p=2&q=C+Language, accessed on the Internet on 2023-06-03.

These are not free courses and the quality is highly variable. There are almost always discounted offers (and the list prices are doubtful). An advantage of these courses is subscriptions are perpetual and everything is self-paced, rather than on an academic-calendar basis. There’s also no distinction between auditing and not, something to stumble on with “free” courses from academic institutions.

4. Algorithms and Computer Science

Computer programs are not inherently algorithms and computer programming is not, of itself, the essence of Computer Science or even Software Engineering. Yet neither field would exist in their modern form in the absence of computer programs and their programming. That span is exhibited in a material way in the career and works of Donald Knuth. Entry points are cited here as an available foundation with much about algorithms and programming based on them. For digging deeper and finding even greater variety of topics, consult https://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~knuth.

[Knuth1997] The Art of Computer Programming, Volume 1: Fundamental Algorithms

Knuth, Donald E. The Art of Computer Programming, vol.1: Fundamental Algorithms. ed.3. Addison Wesley Longman (Reading, MA: 1968, 1973, 1997). ISBN 0-201-89683-4.

When I was a freshman science major, the two volumes on calculus by Richard Courant were the must-have texts, although they weren’t books used as the calculus class texts. The university bookstore did a brisk business in Courant though.

To some degree, the subsequent emergence of Computer Science had the Knuth volumes (now at vol.4B) in The Art of Computer Programming (a.k.a TAoCP) as must-haves and they were used as texts for a time. I once asked a computer scientist why these, and especially this vol.1, were no longer used as the texts for courses; I was told it was too difficult to teach from.

I continue to recommend these and other KnuthBooks. For beginners, keep in mind that this is a foundation volume of a larger sequence and some of the “preliminaries” here may be mathematically challenging. It’s not necessary to master all of that. Use that material for reference later when math-essential understanding is important to your mastery of a topic being pursued.

There are two very-substantial chapters in this book. The important subsections for getting started are 1.1 Algorithms, 1.2 Mathematical Preliminaries only enough to be familiar with what the understandable coverages are, and 1.3 MIX to understand the typical structure of computers via an easily-understood fictitious machine. Chapter 2, Information Structures, and subsequent volumes are indispensible as references.

The developed algorithms are useful and independent of particular programming languages. The Knuth formulations are nicely adaptable to C Language implementations and are great resources for that purpose. MIX is now considered to be a little too simple, and some important advances in the principles of computer operation are addressed by an update contemplated with the exemplary-machine MMIX [Knuth2005].

[Knuth1998] The Art of Computer Programming, Volume 2: Seminumerical Algorithms

Knuth, Donald E. The Art of Computer Programming, vol.2: Seminumerical Algorithms. ed.3. Addision Wesley Longman (Reading MA: 1973, 1998). ISBN 0-201-89685-0.

This volume of TAoCP provides two chapters of the series: 3. Random Numbers and 4. Arithmetic. This volume is applicable to understanding computer arithmetic and much more. Of great value are how one determines/confirms that a program-generated number might be “random.” The book shows how computer arithmetics are understandable and their limitations recognized and sometimes overcome. These are important concerns for programming and also for understanding the limitation of results in the use of computer arithmetic. Techniques for extending the precision of arithmetic are also addressed.

[Knuth2005] The Art of Computer Programming, Volume 1, Fascicle 1: MMIX

Knuth, Donald E. The Art of Computer Programming, vol.1, fascicle 1: MMIX a RISC Computer for the New Millennium. ed.1. Addision Wesley Longman (Reading MA: 2005). ISBN 0-201-85392-2 pbk.

This supplement to TAoCP vol.1 provides replacement sections 1.3’ and 1.4’ (MMIX and Some Fundamental Programming Techniques) as part of an intended upgrading of computer architecture and programming techniques that reflect important changes since TAoCP effort commenced in 1962.

A significant change is how calling into, and returning from, subroutines is no longer accomplished by modification of the running code.

There is far more use of registers and pointers nowadays; MMIX reflects that. At the same time, MMIX feels much more complicated. For an initial understanding of machine-language (i.e., assembler language) programming and the underlying data and code structures, sections 1.3-1.4 of [Knuth1997] may be simpler as a starter where available. Tackle MMIX a bit later.

[Petzold2000] Code

Petzold, Charles. Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software. Microsoft Press (Redmond, WA: 2000). ISBN 0-7356-1131-9 pbk. This book starts with a leisurely and understandable progression from the way code is known apart from computing and on through the journey toward today’s increasingly powerful computer chips. This book is not about programming. It does get to the underpinnings from which programmable computers and programs for them arise. It is often eye-opening to explore.

Discussion about nfoTools is welcome at the Discussion section. Improvements and removal of defects in this particular documentation can be reported and addressed in the Issues section. There are also relevant projects from time to time.

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