Learn C the Hard Way Practical Exercises on the Computational Subjects You Keep Avoiding (Like C)
by Shaw, Zed A.Edition: 1st
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2015-09-04
Publisher(s): Addison-Wesley Professional
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Summary
Need to learn C? Now you can! Forget old-fashioned C programming books that assume you're a computer hardware expert and teach frustrating, old-fashioned coding styles. If you know any language at all, Zed A. Shaw's Learn C the Hard Waycan help you get started fast with modern C programming. This book/CD package is called "The Hard Way," but it's really quite easy: it just requires discipline, practice, and persistence. Shaw teaches how to write modern, clean, clear C code through dozens of brilliantly-crafted exercises, most on two pages. You simply read each exercise, type in its sample code precisely (no copy-and-paste!), and make the programs run. As you read, type, fix your mistakes, and watch the results, you learn how C works… what good modern C programs look like… how to read, write, and "see" code… how to spot crucial differences that change or break programs… all the essentials of C logic, I/O, variables, and functions… and the attention to detail that is indispensable to successful C programming. At first, yes, it can be difficult. But it gets easier. And Shaw offers plenty of extra help through 5+ full hours of CD-based teaching video. Nothing important comes without discipline, practice, and persistence. But, with this package, if you bring those qualities, you willmaster C… and you willreap the very real personal and career rewards that go with C programming expertise!
Author Biography
Zed Shaw is an avid guitar player, programmer, and writer whose books teach people all over the world how to write software. His book Learn Python the Hard Way has been read by millions of people around the world. His software has been used by many large and small companies. His essays are often quoted and read by members of many geek communities. He is an entertaining and lively writer, who is sure to keep you laughing and make you think.
Table of Contents
I Basic Skills
1 Exercise 0: The Setup
1.1 Linux
1.2 MacOSX
1.3 Windows
1.4 TextEditor
1.4.1 WARNING:DoNotUseAnIDE
2 Exercise 1: Dust Off That Compiler
2.1 WhatYouShouldSee
2.2 HowToBreakIt
2.3 ExtraCredit
3 Exercise 2: Make Is Your Python Now
3.1 UsingMake
3.2 WhatYouShouldSee
3.3 HowToBreakIt
3.4 ExtraCredit
4 Exercise 3: Formatted Printing
4.1 WhatYouShouldSee
4.2 ExternalResearch
4.3 HowToBreakIt
4.4 ExtraCredit
5 Exercise 4: Introducing Valgrind
5.1 InstallingValgrind
5.2 UsingValgrind
5.3 WhatYouShouldSee
5.4 ExtraCredit
6 Exercise 5: The Structure Of A C Program
6.1 WhatYouShouldSee
6.2 BreakingItDown
6.3 ExtraCredit
7 Exercise 6: Types Of Variables
7.1 WhatYouShouldSee
7.2 HowToBreakIt
7.3 ExtraCredit
8 Exercise 7: More Variables, Some Math
8.1 WhatYouShouldSee
8.2 HowToBreakIt
8.3 ExtraCredit
9 Exercise 8: Sizes And Arrays
9.1 WhatYouShouldSee
9.2 HowToBreakIt
9.3 ExtraCredit
10 Exercise 9: Arrays And Strings
10.1WhatYouShouldSee
10.2HowToBreakIt
10.3ExtraCredit
11 Exercise 10: Arrays Of Strings, Looping
11.1WhatYouShouldSee
11.1.1UnderstandingArraysOfStrings
11.2HowToBreakIt
11.3ExtraCredit
12 Exercise 11: While-Loop And Boolean Expressions
12.1WhatYouShouldSee
12.2HowToBreakIt
12.3ExtraCredit
13 Exercise 12: If, Else-If, Else
13.1WhatYouShouldSee
13.2HowToBreakIt
13.3ExtraCredit
14 Exercise 13: Switch Statement
14.1WhatYouShouldSee
14.2HowToBreakIt
14.3ExtraCredit
15 Exercise 14: Writing And Using Functions
15.1WhatYouShouldSee
15.2HowToBreakIt
15.3ExtraCredit
16 Exercise 15: Pointers Dreaded Pointers
16.1WhatYouShouldSee
16.2ExplainingPointers
16.3PracticalPointerUsage
16.4ThePointerLexicon
16.5PointersAreNotArrays
16.6HowToBreakIt
16.7ExtraCredit
17 Exercise 16: Structs And Pointers To Them
17.1WhatYouShouldSee
17.2ExplainingStructures
17.3HowToBreakIt
17.4ExtraCredit
18 Exercise 17: Heap And Stack Memory Allocation
18.1WhatYouShouldSee
18.2Heapvs.StackAllocation
18.3HowToBreakIt
18.4ExtraCredit
19 Exercise 18: Pointers To Functions
19.1WhatYouShouldSee
19.2HowToBreakIt
19.3ExtraCredit
20 Exercise 19: A Simple Object System
20.1HowTheCPPWorks
20.2ThePrototypeObjectSystem
20.2.1TheObjectHeaderFile
20.2.2TheObjectSourceFile
20.3TheGameImplementation
20.4WhatYouShouldSee
20.5AuditingTheGame
20.6ExtraCredit
21 Exercise 20: Zed’s Awesome Debug Macros
21.1TheCErrorHandlingProblem
21.2TheDebugMacros
21.3 Using dbg.h
21.4 What You Should See
21.5HowTheCPPExpandsMacros
21.6ExtraCredit
22 Exercise 21: Advanced Data Types And Flow Control
22.1AvailableDataTypes
22.1.1TypeModifiers
22.1.2TypeQualifiers
22.1.3TypeConversion
22.1.4TypeSizes
22.2 Available Operators
22.2.1MathOperators
22.2.2DataOperators
22.2.3 Logic Operators
22.2.4 Bit Operators
22.2.5BooleanOperators
22.2.6AssignmentOperators
22.3 Available Control Structures
22.3.1ExtraCredit
23 Exercise 22: The Stack, Scope, And Globals
23.0.2 ex22.h and ex22.c
23.0.3ex22_main.c
23.1 What You Should See
23.2 Scope, Stack, And Bugs
23.3 How To Break It
23.4ExtraCredit
24 Exercise 23: Meet Duff’s Device
24.1 What You Should See
.2SolvingThePuzzle
24.2.1 Why Bother?
24.3ExtraCredit
25 Exercise 24: Input, Output, Files
25.1 What You Should See
25.2 How To Break It
25.3 The I/O Functions
25.4ExtraCredit
26 Exercise 25: Variable Argument Functions
26.1 What You Should See
26.2 How To Break It
26.3ExtraCredit
27 Exercise 26: Write A First Real Program
27.1WhatIsdevpkg?
27.1.1WhatWeWantToMake
27.1.2 The Design
27.1.3 The Apache Portable Runtime
27.2 Project Layout
27.2.1OtherDependencies
27.3 The Makefile
27.4 The Source Files
27.4.1 The DB Functions
27.4.2 The Shell Functions
27.4.3TheCommandFunctions
27.4.4ThedevpkgMainFunction
27.5TheMid-TermExam
II Data Structures And Algorithms
28 Exercise 27: Creative And Defensive Programming
28.1 The Creative Programmer Mindset
28.2 The Defensive Programmer Mindset
28.3TheEightDefensiveProgrammerStrategies
28.4 Applying The Eight Strategies
28.4.1 Never Trust Input
28.4.2 Prevent Errors
28.4.3FailEarlyAndOpenly
28.4.4DocumentAssumptions
28.4.5 Prevention Over Documentation
28.4.6 Automate Everything
28.4.7SimplifyAndClarify
28.4.8QuestionAuthority
28.5 Order Is Not Important
28.6ExtraCredit
29 Exercise 28: Intermediate Makefiles
29.1TheBasicProjectStructure
29.2Makefile
29.2.1 The Header
29.2.2 The Target Build
29.2.3TheUnitTests
29.2.4TheCleaner
29.2.5TheInstall
29.2.6TheChecker
29.3 What You Should See
29.4ExtraCredit
30 Exercise 29: Libraries And Linking
30.0.1DynamicallyLoadingASharedLibrary
30.1 What You Should See
30.2 How To Break It
30.3ExtraCredit
31 Exercise 30: Automated Testing
31.1 Wiring Up The Test Framework
31.2ExtraCredit
32 Exercise 31: Debugging Code
32.1 Debug Printing Vs. GDB Vs. Valgrind
32.2 A Debugging Strategy
32.3UsingGDB
32.4 Process Attaching
32.5 GDB Tricks
32.6ExtraCredit
33 Exercise 32: Double Linked Lists
33.1WhatAreDataStructures
33.2 Making The Library
33.3 Double Linked Lists
33.3.1 Definition
33.3.2 Implementation
33.4 Tests
33.5 What You Should See
33.6HowToImproveIt
33.7ExtraCredit
34 Exercise 33: Linked List Algorithms
34.0.1 Bubble And Merge Sort
34.0.2 The Unit Test
34.0.3TheImplementation
34.1 What You Should See
34.2HowToImproveIt
34.3ExtraCredit
35 Exercise 34: Dynamic Array
35.1 Advantages And Disadvantages
35.2HowToImproveIt
35.3ExtraCredit
36 Exercise 35: Sorting And Searching
36.1 Radix Sort And Binary Search
36.1.1CUnions
36.1.2TheImplementation
36.1.3 RadixMap_find And Binary Search
36.1.4RadixMap_sortAndradix_sort
36.2HowToImproveIt
36.3ExtraCredit
37 Exercise 36: Safer Strings
37.1 Why C Strings Were A Horrible Idea
37.2 Using bstrlib
37.3 Learning The Library
38 Exercise 37: Hashmaps
38.0.1 The Unit Test
38.1HowToImproveIt
38.2ExtraCredit
39 Exercise 38: Hashmap Algorithms
39.1 What You Should See
39.2 How To Break It
39.3ExtraCredit
40 Exercise 39: String Algorithms
40.1 What You Should See
40.2AnalyzingTheResults
40.3ExtraCredit
41 Exercise 40: Binary Search Trees
41.1HowToImproveIt
41.2ExtraCredit
42 Exercise 41: Using Cachegrind And Callgrind For Performance Tuning
42.1 Running Callgrind
42.2 Callgrind Annotating Source
42.3AnalyzingMemoryAccessWithCachegrind
42.4JudoTuning
42.5UsingKCachegrind
42.6ExtraCredit
43 Exercise 42: Stacks and Queues
43.1 What You Should See
43.2HowToImproveIt
43.3ExtraCredit
44 Exercise 43: A Simple Statistics Engine
44.1 Rolling Standard Deviation And Mean
44.2 Implemention
44.3HowToUseIt
44.4ExtraCredit
45 Exercise 44: Ring Buffer
45.1 The Unit Test
45.2 What You Should See
45.3HowToImproveIt
45.4ExtraCredit
46 Exercise 45: A Simple TCP/IP Client
46.1AugmentTheMakefile
46.2ThenetclientCode
46.3 What You Should See
46.4 How To Break It
46.5ExtraCredit
47 Exercise 46: Ternary Search Tree
47.1 Advantages And Disadvantages
47.2HowToImproveIt
47.3ExtraCredit
48 Exercise 47: A Fast URL Router
48.1 What You Should See
48.3ExtraCredit
49 Exercise 48: A Tiny Virtual Machine Part 1
49.1 What You Should See
49.2 How To Break It
49.3ExtraCredit
50 Exercise 48: A Tiny Virtual Machine Part 2
50.1 What You Should See
50.2 How To Break It 50.3ExtraCredit
51 Exercise 50: A Tiny Virtual Machine Part 3
51.1 What You Should See
51.2 How To Break It
51.3ExtraCredit
52 Exercise 51: A Tiny Virtual Machine Part 4
52.1 What You Should See
52.2 How To Break It
52.3ExtraCredit
53 Exercise 52: A Tiny Virtual Machine Part 5
53.1 What You Should See
53.2 How To Break It
53.3ExtraCredit
54 Next Steps
III Reviewing And Critiquing Code
55 Deconstructing "K&R C"
55.1 An Overall Critique Of Correctness
55.1.1AFirstDemonstrationDefect
55.1.2 Why copy() Fails
55.1.3But,That’sNotACString
55.1.4 Just Don’t Do That
55.1.5 Stylistic Issues
55.2 Chapter 1 Examples
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