Xref: news2.mv.net comp.os.msdos.djgpp:7044 From: Erik Max Francis Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp Subject: Re: Will ANSI C-programming text do for DJGPP? Date: Thu, 08 Aug 1996 18:16:43 -0700 Organization: Alcyone Systems Lines: 35 Message-ID: <320A917B.1C01236D@alcyone.com> References: NNTP-Posting-Host: annex-p132.meer.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com DJ-Gateway: from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp Eli Zaretskii wrote: > On 6 Aug 1996, Graham Howard Wile wrote: > > > I need to brush up on my C programming. Will a textbook on > > straight ANSI C/C++ programming serve me well if I plan to program in > > DJGPP? > > Yes. I second the motion. I know too many people who have learned C (or C++) by programming in some particular window-based operating system, so in actuality it's not C that they know all that well, it's C with Macintosh Toolbox or C with the Windows API. You'd find it surprising how many, say, Macintosh programmers (and excellent ones, mind you) are very poor C programmers. It's the Macintosh idiosyncracies that they got used to, and wrapped their knowledge of C around these, instead of learning C first and then learning the Macintosh. Windows is moderately similar, but the Macintosh is 1. originally Pascal-based, making C environments a little strange to begin with, and 2. forces all kinds of curious memory, resource, and file I/O paradigms on the programmer, hiding the true nature of the C language even further. (I'm not bashing the Mac here; I'm just using it as a notorious example.) Further I'd suggest that the original poster be very careful when using DJGPP to distinguish when some feature they're relying upon is ANSI C (or draft standard C++) compliant, and when it's not (and just an extension that's supported by DJGPP). This will help you immensely when you move onto other platforms in the future. -- Erik Max Francis, &tSftDotIotE http://www.alcyone.com/max/ max AT alcyone DOT com San Jose, California ICBM 37 20 07 N 121 53 38 W R^4: the 4th R is respect War's a game which were their subjects wise/Kings would not play at. -- Cowper