News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Beej’s Guide to C Programming [pdf] by determinateproc on Friday April 23, 2021 @05:24AM (#26912743)
Beej himself lists this as an 'alpha-quality document' on the download page [0] and if I remember correctly, it has been so for years. Wonder why this is posted here on HN.

[0]: http://www.beej.us/guide/bgc/

Re:Beej’s Guide to C Programming [pdf] by beej71 on Friday April 23, 2021 @11:56AM (#26916057)
I recently overhauled it in a big way.. er, "am overhauling it".

And I'm sure it's full of mistakes. It's over 500 pages, most of which has yet to be edited, so if there are fewer than 1000 defects, I'd be shocked.

But I fix them all as I find them, or as they're pointed out. And after an eventual editing pass, things will be better.

And if it's not useful to someone, I take no offense I'd they don't like it. :-)

Re:Beej’s Guide to C Programming [pdf] by petee on Friday April 23, 2021 @09:53AM (#26914773)
I think posts like this are handy just for the extra exposure an alpha document might need; there's a lot of good feedback and discussion here that hopefully beej comes across someday and can finish the book
Re:Beej’s Guide to C Programming [pdf] by determinateproc on Friday April 23, 2021 @10:36AM (#26915182)
On further observation the git repository of the book [0] seems to be quite active. Maybe this book might be finished after all.

[0]: https://github.com/beejjorgensen/bgc

Re:Beej’s Guide to C Programming [pdf] by beej71 on Friday April 23, 2021 @12:26PM (#26916357)
Backstory: I started writing this book for novice programmers about 15 years ago. It was going to be a lot shorter.

But I became disinterested because:

1. Most beginning programmers don't start with C

2. I wouldn't get a chance to go deep and explore the language.

So I shelved it, unfinished.

Flash forward to about a year ago... I had flash of inspiration: change the audience to intermediate programmers.

Now I could skim the general conceptual stuff and get into more details.

One thing, though. C actually added a lot of stuff in the intervening years. I didn't realize the magnitude of the project.

Oh well! Too late to turn back now!

Re:Beej’s Guide to C Programming [pdf] by unfocused on Friday April 23, 2021 @01:57PM (#26917354)
Just wanted to say THANK YOU as I read your guide to network programming way back in 2000, over 20 years ago! I was just starting out in C network programming on VxWorks :) Glad to see you're still updating your guides.
Re:Beej’s Guide to C Programming [pdf] by beej71 on Friday April 23, 2021 @06:19PM (#26919864)
Thanks! Makes my day to hear people find the work useful. :)
Re:Beej’s Guide to C Programming [pdf] by cripblip on Saturday April 24, 2021 @01:00PM (#26926405)
+1000 - I used your network programming guide extensively for my Computer Networking final project in 96, invaluable, Thankyou!
Re:Beej’s Guide to C Programming [pdf] by jallbrit on Sunday April 25, 2021 @02:38PM (#26935300)
I read the beginning of this C guide and also found it very helpful and made things very easy to understand (coming from C++). Thanks!
Re:Beej’s Guide to C Programming [pdf] by fctorial on Friday April 23, 2021 @02:05PM (#26917423)
> Most beginning programmers don't start with C

Except literally every indian engineer. They teach C to mechanical and chemical engineers for some reason. (It's not an elective)

Re:Beej’s Guide to C Programming [pdf] by petee on Friday April 23, 2021 @10:09PM (#26921617)
Glad to hear this, thank you!