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Pointers on C Summary:

Publisher: Ad.dis.on We.sle.y 1997 | 636 Pages | ISBN: 0673999866 | PDF | 106 MB

There are many good C books on the market; why do we need another one? In my ten years of teaching a college-level course on C programming, I have yet to find a book that covers pointers the way I would like. Many books cover pointers in a single chapter dedicated to the topic, often late in the book.
It is not enough to describe the syntax of pointers and show only simple examples of their use. I discuss pointers early and often. I describe their effective use in various contexts and show programming idioms in which they appear. I discuss related issues of program efficiency versus maintainability. Pointers are a thread that is woven throughout this book. Why are pointers so important? My belief is that pointers are what gives C its power. Pointers allow the C programmer to implement many tasks more efficiently than is possible in other languages, and to perform some tasks, such as accessing the hardware directly, that are impossible in other languages. A thorough knowledge of pointers, then, is a prerequisite to becoming a good C programmer.
However, the power of pointers comes with a price. You can cut wood faster with a chain saw than with a nail file, but the chain saw can injure you a lot more seriously, and more quickly. Pointers are like the chain saw. Used correctly, they can simplify the implementation of an algorithm as well as make it more efficient. Used incorrectly, they can be the cause of errors that exhibit subtle and confusing symptoms and are thus extremely difficult to find. An incomplete understanding of pointers is dangerous because it invariably leads to pain rather than pleasure. This book gives you the depth of knowledge in pointers that you need to avoid the pain. Why is the C language still so popular? Historically, industry has embraced C for a number of reasons. Among these are its efficiency; good C programs can be nearly as efficient as assembly language programs, but they are considerably easier to develop. C gives programmers more control over where data is stored and how it is initialized than many languages do. C s lack of \"safety net\" features also contributes to its efficiency, but increases the likelihood of errors. For example, subscripts to arrays and accesses through pointers are not checked for validity, which saves time but makes it much more important that these features be used correctly. If the language is used with discipline, the potential problems can be avoided.
The rich collection of operators provided in C give the programmer power to efficiently perform low-level computations, such as shifting and masking, without resorting to assembly language. This ability has prompted many to characterize C as being a \"high-level\" assembly language. However, when needed, C programs can interface easily with assembly language. These characteristics make C a good choice for implementing operating systems and software for embedded controllers.
Another reason for its popularity is its ubiquity. C compilers are widely available for a great number of machines. In addition, the ANSI Standard improves the portability of C programs among different machines.
Finally, C is the foundation upon which C++ is built. C++ provides a different view of program design and implementation than C. Nevertheless, a thorough knowledge of C skills and techniques, such as using pointers and the standard library, will also be useful for the C++ programmer. This book is not an introductory text on programming. It is intended for people who already have some programming experience and wish to learn C without being held back by discussions of why loops are important or when to use an if statement.
On the other hand, I assume that the reader has no prior knowledge of C. I cover all of its many aspects. This broad coverage makes the book useful for both students and professionals, that is, for programmers first learning C and more experienced users wishing to improve their command of the language.
The better C++ textbooks concentrate on issues relating to the Object-Oriented (OO) paradigm, such as class design, rather than fundamental C techniques, and rightly so. But C++ is built upon C—the fundamental skills are still important, particularly for those implementing reusable classes. While C++ programmers using this book will be able to skip some familiar material, they will also find a wealth of useful C tools and techniques. Organization of the Book
The book is organized as a tutorial for people with prior programming experience. It is written in the style of a mentor looking over your shoulder and giving you tips and advice. My goal is to pass along the kind of knowledge and insight that ordinarily takes years of experience with the language to attain. This organization influences the ordering of the material—topics are generally introduced and explained completely in one place. Thus, the book is also useful as a reference.

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