Expert C Programming: Deep C Secrets

by Peter van der Linden

Book Overview

This book is for the knowledgeable C programmer, this is a second book that gives the C programmers advanced tips and tricks. This book will help the C programmer reach new heights as a professional. Organized to make it easy for the reader to scan to sections that are relevant to their immediate needs.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0131774298
• ISBN13: 9780131774292
• Release Date: June 1994
• Publisher: Pearson
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.5" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

very entertaining read!

is this a bestselling novel? this got to be one of the most entertaining technical book ever! heck, i bought it only to enjoy the humorous sections of the book. i like the funny stories at each section which greatly alleviates the "pain" of reading usual C programming books. the interview section is worth the price of the book. great technical writing demonstrated throughout the book. buy it!

hmm Where to start.

Ok, this is in answer to another review. First, I don't think this book was meant for the 20 yr pro. I know the title implies that but honestly I think it was meant for the beginner/slightly experienced programer. Anybody who has read K & R thru and thru should probably skip this book if your looking for more ways to improve your coding practices. Honestly I don't think you would gain that much from it. I would though suggest reading it for the humor. =)And here is where I part with that reviewer. I find most of the humor to be both comprehensible and more to the point, funny. It does take a slightly twisted way at looking at the world. Most of the "wasted" paragraphs etc. are not actually wasted, if you're a mid lvl or beginner programer. Even some with experience can get some use out of this book. I do agree that this is probably a 3rd or 4th book for coders. As to the char** not being the same as const char**, just read it VERY carefully, after a bit you will understand. Though I do agree that the author could have been a bit clearer on that an a few other explanations.I actually liked the varied topics, this book wasn't meant to be a reference encyclopedia nor a indepth analysis of some specific topic. AND personally I am tired of dry books. Which btw, this particular author has been just as guilty as most other computer book authors. Try his Java book and you will see what I mean.

Why can't more programming books be like this?

This title has been sitting on my shelf for years, but for some reason I decided to start flipping through it the other day. It's sad to admit this, but I couldn't put it down! I really wish I had taken the time to read this years ago.In a reasonably short title, this book covers more about the nooks and crannies of C than almost any other book I have come across -- and does it in a way that keeps the reader's attention. Subtle aspects of the language are presented in detail and accompanied by interesting stories and suggestions (called "Handy Heuristics" in the book) for improving your own code.The book then steps a bit outside of the language to explain (briefly) how linkers work and how executable are structured. This information helps to round out the language specific material and is something you won't find in too many other places.The only downside to this title is that the information is probably a bit dated and somewhat Sun specific. However, I wouldn't let either of these items prevent you from adding this to your software development collection.

This book will teach you something new

As the name implies, this book in not a tutorial or an introduction to C. It is for people that already know C and know it well. No matter how much you know about C, this book will teach you something new. Peter has been working at Sun writing C compilers and using C for years so he really knows what he is talking about. He covers using C in both a UNIX and PC environment. Peter exposes a lot of the shortcoming of C and problems you should watch out for such as incorrect operator presidencies, falling through case statements, and how arrays and pointers are NOT the same. The book also has a lot of great history about C including stories like the "software that blew up the space probe to Venus" and "The C bug that shut down the entire AT & T phone system."One of the things I like best about this book is the authors style and sense of humor. Here is a quote from the author on this subject. "Few authors convey the idea that anyone might enjoy programming. All the wonderment was squeezed out by long boring passages of prose. Useful perhaps, if you can stay awake long enough to read it. But programming isn't like that. Programming is a marvelous, vital, challenging activity, and books on programming should brim over with enthusiasm for it."In addition to all the talk about C, there is also one chapter about C++ which gives you brief introduction to OOP concepts, terminology, and how it is all used is C++. Not only does Peter teach you how to use these things, he also explains how the compiler implements them. He, then goes on to explain the answer to the question, "Just what is a protected abstract virtual base pure virtual private destuctor, and when was the last time you needed one."This book is great for anyone hat knows a lot about C but want to know it all.

Required reading for aspiring C experts

A short aside on the author - Peter van der Linden is probably one of the better technical writers out there. Both this book and "Just Java" are a pleasure to read. He's also a good public speaker, if you get a chance to see him in the valley.Where this book stands out is its lucid explanations of "under the hood" material. What really happens when your program is loaded in? Why aren't pointers and arrays the same? (Bet you thought they were.) This book explains it all.The section on interview questions is required reading for interviewers and interviewees alike. In short, a great book. My dog-eared copy has been handed around the office so many times that I had to take it back and force everyone else to get their own copy (which they quickly did).Only one minor gripe - there are a number of typos in the printing I have. Peter is VERY good about posting errata on his website however, so I can't let this detract from my 5 star rating.