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Book on C, A: Programming in C Paperback – 29 December 1997

by Al Kelley (Author), Ira Pohl (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 81 ratings
Edition: 4th
See all formats and editions
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Written by best-selling authors Al Kelley and Ira Pohl, A Book on C is a comprehensive tutorial and reference to C based on the ANSI C standard.

The C language is demonstrated with numerous examples and extensive exercises that guide readers through each concept. Step-by-step "dissections" of program code reveal the underlying logic of the programs and include in-depth implementation details. Features in this edition include: a chapter on moving from C to Java; more programming examples; new and improved dissections; more thorough coverage of multifile programming, pointers, and recursion; and an expanded appendix of standard library functions. In addition, there is more emphasis on Abstract Data Types, which provides the reader with a foundation for working with objects and facilitates programming in the problem domain.

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  1. ISBN-10
    0201183994
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0201183993
  3. Edition
    4th
  4. Publisher
    Addison-Wesley Professional
  5. Publication date
    29 December 1997
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    23.37 x 18.8 x 3.56 cm
  8. Print length
    752 pages
  9. See all details
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Product description

From the Back Cover

Now in its fourth edition, A Book on C retains the features that have made it a proven, best-selling tutorial and reference on the ANSI C programming language. This edition builds on the many existing strengths of the text to improve, update, and extend the coverage of C, and now includes information on transitioning to Java and C++ from C.

Beginners and professional programmers alike will benefit from the numerous examples and extensive exercises developed to guide readers through each concept. Step-by-step dissections of program code illuminate the correct usage and syntax of C language constructs and reveal the underlying logic of their application. The clarity of exposition and format of the book make it an excellent reference on all aspects of C.

Highlights of A Book on C, Fourth Edition :

  • New and updated programming examples and dissections―the authors' trademark technique for illustrating and teaching language concepts.
  • Recursion is emphasized with revised coverage in both the text and exercises.
  • Multifile programming is given greater attention, as are the issues of correctness and type safety. Function prototypes are now used throughout the text.
  • Abstract Data Types, the key concept necessary to understanding objects, are carefully covered.
  • Updated material on transitioning to C++, including coverage of the important concepts of object-oriented programming.
  • New coverage is provided on transitioning from C to Java.
  • References to key programming functions and C features are provided in convenient tables.



    0201183994B04062001

About the Author

Ira Pohl is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Santa Cruz and holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University. His research interests include artificial intelligence, the C and C++ programming languages, practical complexity problems, heuristic search methods, deductive algorithms, and educational and social issues. He originated error analysis in heuristic search methods and deductive algorithms.

Professor Pohl was formerly a Mackay professor at University of California- Berkeley and a ZWO fellow in the Netherlands. He is the author or co-author of Object-Oriented Programming Using C++, C++ Distilled: A Concise Ansi/Iso Reference and Style Guide, C by Dissection: The Essentials of C Programming, A Book on C: Programming in C, C++ for C Programmers, C++ for Fortran Programmers, C++ for Pascal Programmers, and Turbo C: The Essentials of C Programming, all published by Addison-Wesley.

0201183994AB04062001

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Addison-Wesley Professional; 4th edition (29 December 1997)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 752 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0201183994
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0201183993
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 23.37 x 18.8 x 3.56 cm
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 81 ratings

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Akhilesh sharma
5.0 out of 5 stars Good
Reviewed in India on 11 January 2024
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Parviz Rasoulipour
5.0 out of 5 stars The C language can be learned best by studying its applications
Reviewed in Canada on 15 November 2014
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Before getting "A Book on C, 4th edition, Kelley and Pohl", I knew the basics of the C language.
I was looking for a reference on C that could be a handy aid to my memory and that could provide context for what I had learned about C. "A Book on C" serves well with my needs of such a reference.

The C language can be learned best by studying its applications, I mean serious applications as opposed to regular student projects. Some serious applications of the C language can be found in books that are about Unix system programming.
But there is a wide gap between these system programming books on the one hand and the majority of books that are written on C on the other hand. "A Book on C" addresses this gap to a good extent, because it often presents pretty realistic code to describe a programming concept and its usefulness in action.

So far, I have read Chapters 1 to 5 of the book, and I have skimmed through other chapters.
Chapter 1 presents a good overview of the C language. The writing style of "A Book on C" is clear and to-the-point (to experienced readers).

Some exercises of "A Book on C" are mathematically thought-provoking.
For example, exercise 16, page 188 helps formulating a mathematical theorem that goes like this:
If b1, b2, ... b_{2n+1} are 2n + 1 Boolean variables, then the number of cases where b1 + b2 + ... + b_{2n+1} >= n is 2^{2n}.

Warning to the beginner: The title "A Book on C" is painted on the cover of the book as if it is about the ABCs of the language. The book can serve as a reminder of the ABCs of the language, but I don't think it teaches the ABCs to the absolute beginner.

"A Book on C" sometimes provides definitions of concepts in a manner that might be vague to the beginner. For example, on page 204, the terminology "function declaration" has been introduced using the same terminology (one might call it a cycle). Here is what the book says:

"To the compiler, function declarations are generated in various ways: by function invocation, by function definition, and by explicit function declarations and function prototypes."

When I read this description of function declaration, I thought the book probably wants to say that function declaration means "first announcement on a function." If this is true, then I would have understood the quoted statement more quickly if it had been presented like this: The first announcement on a function should be in the form of either a function definition or a function prototype as introduced earlier.

The beginner is thus warned. However, any beginner who has studied an elementary C book, such as "C in 21 days," should be fine with reading "A Book on C".

Perhaps a precise review on the book can be made by comparing it with another good book that has about the same level of sophistication: The C Programming Language, Kernighan & Ritchie, 1988

As experienced readers know, K&R is the definitive reference on C. Its author, Ritchie is one of the creators of both Unix and the C language. K&R is a more difficult read than ABC is to the beginner, because K&R is so terse (contains only around 200 pages). It is terse especially on chapters that are about the Unix system.

To compare the two books (K&R and ABC) more precisely,

Pros on ABC (for unseasoned programmers like me!):

Pro1- ABC is more inclusive than K&R.
For example, ABC includes explanations on makefiles, data structures, and linked lists.
K&R does not address makefiles at all. And it does not discuss data structures. It probably assumes that the reader knows those topics.

Pro2- Presentation of facts in ABC is more well organized than in K&R.
For example, extensive usage of tabular environments in ABC to describe facts is quite remarkable.

Pro3- ABC is more elaborate than K&R. When discussing Input/Output, for example, ABC takes more time to describe the ideas.
NOTE: In being elaborate, ABC does not fill book pages with toy code, like most other C books do.
The volume of realistic code per page presented in ABC is pretty much the same as that in K&R.

Cons:

con1- I could not find the solutions manual of ABC. But the solutions manual of K&R can easily be found.

con2- It seems that ABC has more typos.

Conclusion:

"A Book on C" is one of the best references on C, perhaps THE best to date, for experienced readers.
The book can serve as a quick refresher, quick reference, and thought-provoking tutorial. Some of its features are:
extensive coverage of topics; fine organization of facts through tabular environments; to-the-point descriptions.

Absolute beginners might not find it an easy read.
One person found this helpful
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Jonathan H.
5.0 out of 5 stars Clear and Direct
Reviewed in the United States on 31 December 2022
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Best book on C I have found. Clear writing, useful examples.
This book and a good C reference (like C in a nutshell) and you're on your way.
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Sudharshan
5.0 out of 5 stars Very detailed book, useful for both beginners and professionals alike.
Reviewed in India on 11 October 2017
Verified Purchase
Bought a second hand copy of the same book. It looks almost brand new. Kudos to the seller for excellent maintenance.The book is, no doubt, one of the best I've ever seen in terms of presentation of subject.
One person found this helpful
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Hamish McPenguin
5.0 out of 5 stars Good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 August 2017
Verified Purchase
If this is the first book on programming you buy then you won't have done badly. - But buy second hand, its very pricey
One person found this helpful
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