The C Programming Language

Just what a reader would expect: a detailed description of C and stdlib.

The definitive book of C. Concise and complete. Known simply as "Kernighan and Ritchie" by the entire programming community, this book needs no further recommendation. If you want to program C, you need this book.

-horrible language, C, no soul, undocumentable, but popular
-this book makes C as clear as possible, the best reference available
-at least it is short
-it helped me make a living as a programmer

K&R is the archetype of a programming language book written for programmers. (I'm tempted to say "also for non-programmer UNIX geeks", but in some sense there is no such thing.) For best results, combine this classic with Kernighan's & Pike's The UNIX Programming Environment. [2008-04-26]

This is a classic in the field and an essential resource for the library of anyone using C or a language derived from C.

With scripting languages replacing C as the easiest entry into the programming world, that big blue-on-white sans-serif C may not be as iconic as it once was, but as a place to get started with the C language there are still no better books than this one. K&R is admirably terse and clear—it's the

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Strunk and White of computer programming.

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Absolute classic, must have in every student shelf, even if he isn't that much into C.

When men were real men, and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri ..

The first edition was the ultimate programming book. Short. Clear. Logical. Beautiful. The second edition is less concise - the language has grown, so must the manual.

Considered the bible of modern C-programming, or at the very least, a major epistle, The C Programming Language, commonly called “K&R” for the guys who wrote it, is one of the most indispensable books for anybody looking to learn just about any modern programming language.

The C Programming

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Language, here in its second edition, feature a new look at C, including the previously updated ANSI standards that were as yet undefined in the first edition’s printing.

While this book doesn’t offer much outside the scope of programming, it is a simple, straightforward introduction to C, including all of C’s strengths as a programming language.

If you are interested in getting your feet wet with programming, or dabbling in one of the most widespread languages, I suggest you check out this book if you don’t already have it on your shelf.

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After you have learn a little bit about C and feel somewhat comfortable, get this book. It will be the only book about C you will need on your shelf.

the only book on C you'll ever need

I read this years ago when I was first taking C. I don't have this edition, but an earlier one. After wading through several other books, I kept coming back to this one as a reference while programming. It is deceptively short & sweet. Re-reads constantly found me more avenues to explore using

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their basics.

I gave a copy to my son & he came to the same conclusion. While other, larger, & more specific books come & go as C evolves, this basic work is a must for any serious programmer.

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Basically, it covers just enough to learn C, and no more. I like that approach best. Too verbose and I feel like I’m being patronized. Too spare, and I’m having to look things up elsewhere. There are now better languages for much of the software that people want, but C works well for a lot of

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basic programs and for some more complex ones. If you need or want to work on those, this book is the place from which to lean the language.

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Great starter for anyone wanting to l;earn C and keep within the ANSI standard of coding. Weed out those bad habits before they form, he he.

Programmers know and refer to this book as K&R2 or even The White Book. That says it all. This is The C programming language book indeed.
It is one of those rare books on computer programming that are to stay.
Good translations of it are available in zillions of (human) languages. They, too, will

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often be their editor's longest running book on (a) computer language. Pick it in whatever (human) language you see fit. It is available as audio taped edition and in braille, too. See i.a. The C Programming Language and have a look at "Errata for The C Programming Language, Second Edition", too.

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Definitive reference for C syntax and functionality. Not great for learning, but fabulous for reference.

I literally stood in line outside a bookstore, waiting for them to open, so that I could buy this book. I love the blurb on the back, referring to the first edition (aka K&R C):

The first edition of this classic book will remain in print as the original definition of the C programming language. It

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will remain in print until compilers based on the final ANSI Standard for C become universally available to the C programming community.

Wonder what year that finally happened?

Before I forget, in addition to writing one of the most important computer language books out there, Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie are fine and decent human beings (RIP, Dennis M. Ritchie).

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Wonderful. Rare programming book that can be enjoyed away from a terminal^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^hcomputer. Reads as if written by humans -- also rare in this genre.

This is a good entry point for learning the C language, provided that you already have some programming experience. It's terse without sacrificing detail. Supplementary reading is required if you wish to learn more about e.g. C compilers, debugging under Linux, socket programming, including

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external libraries and how to properly modularise C programs, but it is evident that those subjects simply lie outside of the scope of this work, and that's fine.

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