Re: [LUG] GCC compilation?

["MATTHEW BROWNING" <M.Browning@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Currently David im working my way through' SAMS teach yourself C in
> 21 days' ISBN 0-672-317664 £21.99.

I would draw the readers of the list's attention to the partner
publication by SAMS: Teach Yourself C for *Linux* in Twenty-One Days
by Eric de Castro Lopo et al.  It serves me well as a reference book
because of its extensive discussion of syntax and GCC documentation.
The last part of the book serves as an introduction to GTK+ with an
example.  My only criticism is that the book  includes a CD with GCC
on it.  Fair enough, but I reckon that drives the price up a couple
of quid and is it possible to get a binary-only distribution of Linux
without GCC?


> Basically it splits C for beginners into 21 sections, each designed
> as one days study with a short Q&A. it also includes a 7 section
> intro to C++ and Java.

Hmm.  The nature of C makes it, I reckon, an achievable aim and very
worthwhile, as discussed by other posters; it is my personal opinion,
however that you simply cannot learn C++ from a book - I am happy to
enter into a discussion off-list about why I feel this way.

As a tip to anyone who is learning C, I would say the following:
when you have been looking at all the relevant texts you can find for
six months and you are still doing stuff like echoing `Hello World'
to stdout, but by accessing each char from an array with a pointer or
something, you *are* going to think `sod this', and play Gnibbles
instead.  To get around this, find yourself someone to work with, set
yourselves the same goals and compete with each other, compare notes
and leave no problem unsolved - I cannot stress enough the value of
having someone to talk to about it.


> I think 21 days may be a little optimistic mind you....

The SAMS website disclaims this by stating that this is just the name
of their product line and that they don't mean `buy this book and you
will be kernel hacking by the end of the month', but, `here is a
tutorial in twenty-one sections, each of which should take you about
a day'.

MB.

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