Free C tutorials...

[Bigjakkstaffa]

Hi all, im starting to use C language at college in a few ekksand am thinking about trying to get an insight into the language before i start, anyone one know of any free tutorials or resources availiable on the internet?

--Cheers

--Jakk:t

[Quandary]

C or C++?

How basic of a grounding do you you want?
I can post a short lecture on C++; for anything in-depth, you'll have to find a book at your local library.

[Bigjakkstaffa]

We'll be starting with C id have thought, and only the basics as of yet, as i this is the first time any of us will be using the language, C++ stuff might be useful too though - id love to have a look at whatever you can give me - cheers...

--Jakk:t

[Quandary]

Okay, lets start with the basics.

All statement lines end with a semicolon. Just the way it is.

Variables store data (duh). They are defined as <type> <declarator>. Here are the basic types for C++:
char - 1 byte
short - 2 bytes (word)
int - 4 bytes (dword)
long - also 4 bytes
float - single-precision floating point var
double - double-precision floating point var
bool (C++ only; BOOL in c, which is actually just a typedefed int)

char data is usually charachter data (char -> character. no brainer.)

Strings are an array of chars, and an array is just a whole bunch of subsequent data peices in memory, but that is actually a more advanced topic. (a loooong lecture on pointers and ****.)

So, if I go

int foo;

I now have a variable, foo, that is an integer (double word).

Standard operators include (deeep breath :p)
= assignment; read as gets, so a = b reads a gets b.
== equal to (equal two :p)
!= not equal to
< less than
> greater than
<= less-than equal to
>= greater than equal to
|| logical OR
&& logical AND
! logical NOT
& bitwise AND (or 'address of')
| bitwise OR
^ bitwise XOR
~ bitwise NOT
- subtract
* multiply (or 'pointer to' or 'derefrence')
/ divide
+ add
++ increment
-- deincrement

and more.

Simple control structures include:

if(bool expression)
{
statements
}
else - else is optional. another if after the else will make an else-if statement.
{
statements
}

while(bool expression)
{
statements
}

do
{
statements
}while(bool expression);

for(starting statement; bool expression; per-loop statement)
{
statements
}


which (except for for) are all pretty self-explanitory. There are other control statements (like case) that are more advanced.

For a program to compile, you need to make a function called main. To do that, you just have to write in the following:

void main()
{
(programming statements go here)
}

and then code inside of the braces.

if you do this at the top of the file:

#include <stdio.h>

You include a header file that gives you access to a printing function. To disply things on the screen, go:

printf("Your message here");

If you use a %d inside of the quotes, you can print out a numeric value, a %c prints a char. So...

int foo = 5;
char bob = 'a';

printf("%d %c", foo, bob);

would print out
5 a

There are your basics!

If you want more, just IM :p

- Q

[Bigjakkstaffa]

Cheers, coming up bed time now, so ive just popped that into a word file for reading tomorrow or another time - i'll IM you if and when i want more - tnx :)

--Jakk:t

[rick42]

Come on you guys. Don't you know that C is self documenting ;)

Actually it is like any other language,
- watch your indentation
- keep mariables meaningfull, including temp vars (use iix, not i)
- keep functions short
- use brackets for those not too obvious relationships (eg. is ++iix* the same as ++(iix*) or (++iix)* ?)

If you're not sure, make a micro pgm, and test it.
:D

ps: try cc -E src, to test your macros and includes.