Product Description
Enter the world of embedded programming and microcontroller applications! One of the only books available today that uses the increasingly popular and cost-effective Atmel AVR embedded controller as the platform and application for learning, Embedded C Programming and the Atmel AVR, 2E is the perfect choice for novices. Featuring a host of fully-functional example applications, this highly innovative book enables users to adopt a "learn by doing" approach as they develop the knowledge and skills needed to achieve proficiency. Following an introduction to Atmel AVR RISC processors, readers are launched immediately into an embedded C language tutorial. Here, they'll experiment with variables and constants, operators and expressions, control statements, pointers and arrays, memory types, preprocessor directives, real-time methods, and more!In addition to a comprehensive library functions reference, an entire chapter on the CodeVision AVR C Compiler provides clear, step-by-step instruction in IDE installation and operation, mixing Assembler with C, and using the Code Wizard Code Generator.Use of peripherals - such as keypads, LCD displays, and other common embedded microcontroller-related devices - is also explored fully in this all-inclusive, state-of-the-art programmer's how-to and reference manual. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Some good information, but seriously overpriced
This book has some good information on programming AVR microcontrollers in c, but in my opinion it is ridiculously over-priced for what you get.The whole second half of the book is worthless to me because I am using a different c compiler.If one is not using the CodeVision c compiler, then I think the same information can be gotten a lot less expensively from other books, the device datasheets, Atmels application notes, and other users on the internet.

Excellent course on AVR
Very good guide. If you need to program for AVR fast. This book is for you. Expensive, I don't know why. But, it's really good. 4 stars only because too much expensive.

What an excellent book ...
I have only just started programming with AVR and was looking for a book that would help me. After reading other reviews I decided to buy this book - and I'm glad that I did.

It starts off with an introduction to embedded C, moves on to discuss the Atmel AVRs and concludes with a chapter on developing a project from scratch. But, what's good is that it starts off from the basics with plenty of explanations (so if you've never done anything with AVRs before, then this is for you), and moves on to the complex stuff later.

The book covers almost every topic you would want, so you can always use the book as a reference later. There is a comprehensive Appendix in the back too which lists the various C functions and Atmel instruction sets.

My only complaint is that the book dedicates to much space on the CodeVision C Compiler (there is a whole chapter on using the IDE, and several references are made to it throughout the book). It's a pity that there is no mention of the AVR-GCC Compiler - since it's free!!

Overall, this is an excellent book, that I would definately recommend to anyone starting off with programming the Atmel AVR microprocessors.

Read these reviews for general info as they may refer to the first edition!
Hi folks!
It's amazing how reviews dated months (or years) prior to the publication date of a new edition got added here.I do own the earlier edition and find it to be *exactly* what I needed to both ramp up my knowledge of embedded C processing and learn the AVR micro.

Now we have this new edition that just might overcome some of the valid criticisms of the reviewers as well as bring the explanations up to date for the newer processors.Or it might not. . ..An update review would be helpful as I don't want to spend $90 to get the same book with a different cover.Ahhh! Amazon's return policy.I'll order the new one and either write an update review or send it back.Nice!

UPDATE!
Well, I ordered the new edition. . ..Here's the scoop: the authors have updated the chip used in the examples to the Mega16 (and sometimes the Mega128) so this is a good thing as there have been significant changes in the naming of internal registers, etc. since the first edition was written.There are some short additions here and there (e.g. a two-page section on I2C) and "Lab problems" in addition to the exercises at the end of each chapter.The new book is thirty pages longer, but somewhat thinner than the first ed.

So, if you're a bit of a newbie (like me) and are using a particular chip (like the Mega16 as I was) this edition is well worth the cost as it tracks the chip internals closely in the descriptions.If you are "just looking," maybe a used first edition will answer 99% of your questions for 50% of the price.In either case, the explanation of embedded C in the first 80 pages of the book is superb!There is also an excellent project example--start to finish--that ties it all together.

Great for Beginners and as a reference for Advanced Programmers
In a word, this book is Awesome! It takes the reader through beginner to advanced programming of the AVR in C and provides an extensive list of projects while remaining just abstract enough to allow the reader to translate the code and concepts into many different but similar real-world problems. The first section also provides a quick recap on basic C programming for people (like me) who program infrequently enough in C to forget basic concepts.

You can find more AVR info at http://www.hobbyrobotics.org/avr.htm ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides both novice and experienced programmers with a comprehensive resource manual for the C++ programming language. Readers gain experience in all aspects of programming, from elementary language concepts to professional software development, with in depth coverage of all the language elements en route. These elements are carefully ordered to help the reader create useful programs every step of the way.

The text provides a comprehensive, detailed, and clear description of C++ based on the International Standard ISO/IEC 14882 that was ratified in 1998. Every double page spread is arranged to explain language concepts and language elements on the right, illustrated with graphics and sample programs on the left. Additional information, such as case studies and filter programs, make this text a well-structured and intelligible learning and reference guide for anyone interested in C++. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Fantastic!!!
If your new to C++, BUY this book, you will not regret it.
Authors do an outstanding job of explaining concepts in a very clear
manner. One great thing about this book for someone that is new to programming or just learning C++ is that the answers to the exercises are given at the end of each chapter. If you do the exercises first, without looking at the solutions, you DO have the solutions to see if your on the right track and to learn from.

Most Have
I been teaching myself C++ ever since last year in 11th grade when I toke a course in programming. I bought a couple of books and learn most of the basic. So I decided I needed to get into more detail so I gave this book a try. I think if you really into C++ and you want to learn more or just a Reference this is a book you should look at. The only down side is the price but there are people selling it on here for lower so just check that out.... but if you have to buy new in my opinion it's worth it.

Highly recommended
Easy to understand, concise, self-contained compact chapters with associated programme examples on every other page, covering the basics and more advanced topics.

great book on a hairy subject
This is certainly the best C++ book I have read for auto-didactic purposes. C++ is a horrible programming language (coming from a functional programming POV, as well as a ton of ANSI-C systems and Fortran numerics coding in my past), which has unfortunately become a standard in many fields. Should it be a necessary evil to you, this is probably the book to read. Better yet: find a different line of work. All right thinking people should avoid making C++ a part of their profession. It has erased more hours of talent than MS minesweeper or solitaire.

Best book on C++
This is the best book on C++ ever written, even better than Eckel's "Thinking in C++".

It is a very clear book, easy to read, with colors, well organized and with exercises. Solutions are provided for the exercises.

I think the most important thing about this book is it's written with ISO C++ 1998 and STL in mind. Most other books teach you C++ 1989 (or even older!) and have an appendix about ISO C++ 1998 and another appendix on STL, and believe me, that's not good for you. ... Read more

Product Description
C# is Microsoft's hot new language for the .NET platform. This book covers everything C# programmers need to know to create network applications, a task traditionally done in C++. It explores the basics of network programming, including IP and TCP protocols, and moves on to targeted C# instruction, including using the C# network programming classes in the .NET framework. Topics covered include low-level network programming (such as sockets and multithreading), as well as network application layer programming for email, web-based, and security applications. Specific examples show how to create applications that use network protocols such as SNMP, SMTP, and HTTP. The book also has advanced coverage of incorporating an Active Directory server database and .NET remoting in a network application. Author Richard Blum has been a network and systems administrator for 13 years for the Department of Defense and is the author of four books on networking topics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Great for begining of SNMP Programming
This is a great book for begining of SNMP programing. It focuses on the basics but not deep.
for example , in SNMP chapter, it discusses Get PDU srtucture in detail (and that was very great because I've never seen like that in other books or articles) but there is nothing about set PDU or Trap.

OK for a sys admin
This is a good book if you are a systems admin (like the author) wanting to write simple network programs in C#.However, the author has a very limited knowledge of .NET programming.In most of his numerous code samples, his ignorance of CLR fundamentals shine through.For instance, on page 192 he has these lines of code in the VarTcpSrvr.cs listing:

byte[] datasize = new byte[4];
datasize = BitConverter.GetBytes(size);

The first line of code creates a new byte array named datasize on the managed heap.Then the call to BitConverter.GetBytes(...) returns another byte array and stores the reference in datasize!The first byte array will now be garbage collected, as it is no longer referenced and was never used in the first place.The book is filled with code examples like this.

If you are a professional developer, the book doesn't have much to offer, as you will likely already know nearly as much as (if not more than) the author.Not to mention, seeing all the poor coding samples will likely become a distraction.I still give this book three stars because the networking content is good and the code samples do, in fact, seem to work.They just happen to be coded poorly.Since the author doesn't really understand the platform he's coding on, approach with caution -- especially if you are a beginner.

Very good book
if you allready have some c# experience this books is the next step u need for jump into the network programming... the books compile the 99% on vs 2005 and the examples are clear, they left no doubt when you are reading, if you want to invest some money on learning this is one way you can do it.

Highly recommended
I used a number of books as references for a server project in C#, including the "TCP/IP Sockets in C#" book referenced in another review, but that book is more geared toward academic use (though to his credit I emailed one of the authors of the book regarding multithreading issues that were not addressed in print and he was very responsive, so I support the purchase of that book to round out your sockets library as well). Blum's book provided far more practical advice relating to my project and was the one I consistently returned to for reference. I had an issue not addressed directly in the book, did a Google search on it and found the answer...by the book's author in an online discussion forum!

In short, it is virtually impossible to find a book that addresses every last real-world gotcha inherent in starting any new project with a new language and class library as vast as .NET's, but if you have a C# sockets project to do then I can't recommend another book more than this one.

Doesn't go deep enough into the real issues
This book is a good introductory book to network programming in general. While it attempts to cover all the general topics that you can find in reference books like "TCP/IP Illustrated", it seriously lacks the breadth and depth of such reference books and falls short of tackling the real issues of Network Programming with the .Net frameowrk in C#.

The .Net framework and the C# language bring some new design patterns and some paradigms that are definitely different from what we used to see with C/C++ or Java and I found that this book while containing a lot of source code examples in C# lacks coverage of such patterns and the .Net way of solving issues like high performance multi-client servers, performance oriented data handling over network connections, multi-threaded network applications design patterns in C# and .Net framework,...

In summary, if you are new to C#, .Net and have never programmed network applications in another language and are looking for a book that covers a lot of subjects, this is your book. If you already have the TCP/IP Illustrated books and want an advanced book about how .Net and C# apply to network programming, I recommend "TCP/IP Sockets in C#", a much smaller book but extremely focused on what the title says!
... Read more

Product Description
Now in its fourth edition, A Book on C retains the features that have made it a proven, best-selling tutorial and reference on the ANSI C programming language. This edition builds on the many existing strengths of the text to improve, update, and extend the coverage of C, and now includes information on transitioning to Java and C++ from C.Beginners and professional programmers alike will benefit from the numerous examples and extensive exercises developed to guide readers through each concept.Step-by-step dissections of program code illuminate the correct usage and syntax of C language constructs and reveal the underlying logic of their application. The clarity of exposition and format of the book make it an excellent reference on all aspects of C.

Highlights of A Book on C, Fourth Edition : New and updated programming examples and dissections-the authors' trademark technique for illustrating and teaching language concepts. Recursion is emphasized with revised coverage in both the text and exercises. Multifile programming is given greater attention, as are the issues of correctness and type safety. Function prototypes are now used throughout the text. Abstract Data Types, the key concept necessary to understanding objects, are carefully covered. Updated material on transitioning to C++, including coverage of the important concepts of object-oriented programming. New coverage is provided on transitioning from C to Java. References to key programming functions and C features are provided in convenient tables. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (56)

Good price and excelent condition for a 2nd hand book
I'm quite satisfied with the purchase. The price, book condition and delivery time were quite good. At the beginning I refused the idea to buy a book in the USA while I live in Spain. Then I was not able to find it in Spain. After I've found it here it was so expensive... So, the optimum solution was to buy it by Amazon.

Best beginner/indermediate C book
And the ACCU site agrees with me.This is an excellent book on the C programming language.Of course, you will want K&R next and finally C: A Reference Manual for the extensive library documentation and cross referencing.
Lots of exercises and the Dissections (program explanations) are great.

Excellent book on C
Be warned: This book is not for beginners in programming. If you know a bit of another programming langauge such as C++ or Java you should be fine.

With that said, this book is outstanding. It may be a bit dry compared to newer style books, but this gets the job done. It clearly explains the vast majority of the langauge and challenges you. What more do you need?

Every chapter is filled with lots of great examples and some terrific problems to work on that will deepen your understanding of the language; and make you better at problem solving, an extremely important skill if you want to be a good programmer. Even a simple 10 line program can have many subtleties and this book covers them. If you have ever seen a simple hello world type program that takes user input, and has a few security issues you know what I mean. In a language like C it is the details that will sneak up behind you and stab you.

Yes, it doesn't offer many specific operating system examples and that is fine. You should learn the language first, then branch into specific OS API's.

This book has enough information to fill 2 or 3 courses, and leave you with enough background to go in any direction from there(networking, advanced data structures, embedded programming, other languages, ect).

Granted, alot of the examples are mathematical but lets be clear. Computer science and programming are mathematical disciplines. If you are not at least comfortable in basic mathematics, including some calculus, linear algebra(especially important in CS) and statistics, you need to be. However, the mathematical concepts in this book are almost entirely in the realm of college algebra, not even close to advanced mathematics(even calculus isn't advanced math). Any college CS or programming class that doesn't require a solid algebra background is one to avoid anyway.

Bottom line: At this level, a good grasp of algebra is the bare minimum.

I suppose it is all the for idiots and total morons "programming" books out there that is to blame. They turned this mathematical discipline into paint-by-numbers. That is just shameful.

Anyway, if you need a deep, clear understanding of ANSI C(which makes it more relevant then K&R) this is the book for you. If you need more of a beginners primer, I don't know what to recommend, but steer clear of the C for idiots type of book.

There are much better C books around!
I bought this book because it was a set text for my C programming class.I have to add a review, because contrary to most reviewsI read on this site, I found this book extremely difficult to get any useful information out of.The examples are not practical, when they provide a sample program they totally disect it in to a long-winded discussion with much more detail than is needed.They take about six pages to go through a ten line program.

If you have some programming experience in another language and just need a reference (as I did), this is NOT the book to buy!I recommend "C: How to Program" by Deitel & Deitel, which I have been using instead of this stupid book through the duration of my course.

Maybe this might be halfway useful if you have never programmed before and need a really slow baby-steps book, but I really believe that it is not a good C reference.

Buying my second copy
I got this originally for an advanced class in C when I had already been programming in it for a few years.I had been using K&R as the bible but K&R is a little too terse for me and I needed some examples.I have been programming in C for 20 years but I have a terrible memory and always need to refer to some part of it for syntax and usage.This book is just right for me.

It is so useful I keep it with me all the time.All my friends in the lab were borrowing it so it got so dog-eared I threw it out and bought a second.

It not only covers basic and advanced C, but it also has some data structures with linked lists, stacks, and queues in programs that actually compile and work.I also use the little bit they have on the differences with C++.You need another book if you really want to get into data structures or C++ but this will get you through the most common situations.Very useful indeed. ... Read more

Product Description
Standard SQL guarantees that no matter what the database implementation, the features of the language will be applicable across all platforms.Over 200 completely solved problems plus 200 supplementary problems reinforce students' understanding and skills.Features the syntax used by the most important database developers, Oracle and Microsoft, to familiarize students with this common language.Includes labs and practice tests like those used in database certification exams. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good Schaums book
Good affordable Schaums's outlines book. If you have MySQL installed, upload the sample data from the URL given in the book...before you know it, you have learned the nitty-gritty of SQL fundamentals.Schaum's Outline of Fundamentals of SQL Programming

for new DBAs
Are you a new database administrator? Trying to be one? Or needing to pass a certification exam in one of the main proprietary databases, like Oracle, IBM's db2 or Microsoft SQL Server? And you need to prepare for that exam. Well, there are third party books devoted to each vendor's exam. You should probably get an appropriate one and study it carefully. But you can also improve your chances of passing any of those exams by tackling the problems in this book.

Mata-Toledo offers some 400 problems. With the answers to half of these in the book. He tests virtually the entire syntax of SQL; an industry standard. Everything from arithmetic functions to group functions to making complex queries, and more. Of course, it will take you time to go through these problems. But that is the point of the book, after all.

Also, the book is cheap compared to the other books that specialise in a given database vendor's exam. ... Read more

Product Description
Practical UML Statecharts in C/C++ Second Edition bridges the gap between high-level abstract concepts of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and the actual programming aspects of modern hierarchical state machines (UML statecharts). The book describes a lightweight, open source, event-driven infrastructure, called QP that enables direct manual coding UML statecharts and concurrent event-driven applications in C or C++ without big tools.
This book is presented in two parts. In Part I, you get a practical description of the relevant state machine concepts starting from traditional finite state automata to modern UML state machines followed by state machine coding techniques and state-machine design patterns, all illustrated with executable examples. In Part II, you find a detailed design study of a generic real-time framework indispensable for combining concurrent, event-driven state machines into robust applications. Part II begins with a clear explanation of the key event-driven programming concepts such as inversion of control ("Hollywood Principle"), blocking versus non-blocking code, run-to-completion (RTC) execution semantics, the importance of event queues, dealing with time, and the role of state machines to maintain the context from one event to the next. This background is designed to help software developers in making the transition from the traditional sequential to the modern event-driven programming, which can be one of the trickiest paradigm shifts.
The lightweight QP event-driven infrastructure goes several steps beyond the traditional real-time operating system (RTOS). In the simplest configuration, QP runs on bare-metal microprocessor, microcontroller, or DSP completely replacing the RTOS. QP can also work with almost any OS/RTOS to take advantage of the existing device drivers, communication stacks, and other middleware. The accompanying website to this book contains complete open source code for QP, ports to popular processors and operating systems, including 80x86, ARM Cortex-M3, MSP430, and Linux, as well as all examples described in the book.

*Focuses on core concepts rather than tools which are always changing allowing the reader to continue to use this information with various projects
*Provides a complete, ready-to-use, open source software architecture for small and large embedded systems
*Includes an extensive exampleusing the ARM Cortex-M3 throughout the book highlighting issues programmers and architects encounter in everyday life
... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Samek explains why Inversion of Control is useful
I highly recommend this book for professional programmers - especially for embedded developers that might not have been schooled in modern programming techniques.

Miro does a very thorough job of introducing new concepts like UML state diagrams, frameworks, active objects, etc. Central to the book is the idea that the programming framework should act as the "executive" calling the actual application code as needed - while maintaining good structure and readability. The framework provides operational context and the mechanisms for events to be handled by the user's code.

No other programming approach is equal. This really brings modern tools to the embedded space. Bravo!

Now this edition is for embedded system
Despite the FIRST book was great but I just managed to finish 1/3 of it. The main reasons are the code was mainly in C++ which I didn't know at that time and wasn't very popular in embedded programming; and poor coding style that made coding reading extremely difficult. If you read the first edition and share the same view with me, then now you MUST get the 2nd Edition!!

I'm glad that Miro got rid of the quantum mechanical metaphor :) The biggest change in this book is the code is mainly in C, which make much more sense for embedded programmer. There are line-by-line comments and the descriptions are very detail, I had no problem reading the code, in fact it was quite an pleasant experience.

The hierarchical event processor and real-time framework described arevery powerful yet simple tools once you understand it. I applied the technique in creating menu selection, and found adding/deleting nested sub menu incredibly simple. Despite C++ is no longer the main programming language in this book, the concept of the framework still uses object-oriented concept and pointers a lot. In order to fully appreciate the wisdom of the author in writing the code, you should have expert knowledge in using pointers and good understanding in OO. Miro doesn't just want to 'sell' his quantum statechart, he also explains other fundamental yet essential concepts that form the entire ecosystem which includes UML, design pattern and real-time kernel.

This is definitely 'the' software design book that every embedded programmer should have on their bookself.

Critical Read for all Software Developers, not Just Embedded Systems Developers
Reading the other reviews, one might get the impression that this book is mostly geared to embedded systems.If you are an embedded systems developer, this is a no-brainer.However, you might be inclined to pass this up if you do not develop for embedded systems, and that would be a HUGE mistake.

On the surface, this is a technical book geared towards good software practice development on embedded systems, but the author brings such clarity and insight to the value and application of UML Statecharts, that this book is an essential read for anyone who is even thinking of using finite state or hierarchical state machines.It seems that statecharts get short-shrift in other books on UML, and certainly don't give the kind of detail as this book in terms of how one implements such an engine (though it seemed more discussion about the implementation were provided in his first book, another must read).I think he wisely focuses on his C implementation, because of its relevance to the Embedded Systems world, but he provides C++ implementations/ports on his web site, [...].You should also check that out because he also has an active discussion board, so you can communicate directly with him and his team.It was a bit hidden, but here is the page with ports to other languages -- [...]

With this book, you get a rare perspective/combingation of someone who truly understands UML Statecharts and a savvy developer/architect who demonstrates how to exploit the methodology for practical purposes.The implementation is flexible, precise, and elegant -- a true model for professional software development.

Dr. Miro Samek does it again with this new 2nd edition!
I first met Dr. Samek at the Embedded Systems Conference in San Francisco, CA. I was drawn in by how simple his QP infrastructure was. Immediately upon reading the 1st edition of his book, I was able to get an embedded system up and running. Not only was the source code helpful, but the examples in the book provided real world applications. With this new 2nd edition, there are even more real world examples to learn from. In addition, the examples are utilizing many different MCU's - e.g. MSP430, ARM Cortex-M3, 80x86, etc.

I have used QP during the last few years both in the professional arena and as a hobbyist. Still today, the state machine framework is executing flawlessly. The concept of having decoupled state machines used to be mainly in academia while industry was more observant of the typical main() + ISR environments. But the trend is moving more toward event driven programming. UML in general can be rather convoluted with nomenclature and semantics that leave the developer questioning what they are getting themselves into. But with QP, the framework is simplified to the point where the developer only focuses on the actual application and need not worry about the underlying kernel, queuing mechanisms, tasks, etc. However, if the developer decides to understand what is executing 'under the hood' per se, the book goes through in detail all the intricacies of the infrastructure.

Furthermore, the GNU GPL provides a great way for new comers to view the source code and see what the platform is all about.

I will not repeat all the details of the book as previous reviewers have. However, I will note that this book is as comprehensive as can be for any embedded engineer who is interested in developing in a revolutionizing environment. Kudos to Dr. Samek!

This is a really good book
Many years ago Finite State Machineconcept saved my life in an embedded software project. Thanks to this practical experience I realized how powerful the state machine concept used in software construction is. At that time the famous "C User Journal" was for me the only source of knowledge about state machines programming.

That is why I was excited when I spotted and read the first edition of the book a few years ago.
The current edition is much thicker - 700 pages in total.
State machines stuff occupy the first 250 pages and in my opinion, this is the mandatory reading for any embedded software engineer. The author starts from "A Crash Course in UML State Machines" which teachesa reader the skills needed to describe Finite State Machines and Hierarchical State Machines in UML.
The next chapter describes a few approaches to FSMimplementation. Chapter 4 introduces Hierarchical State Machine implementation using QEP processor . Chapter 5 ends the "State Machine" part of the book with the detailed description of 5 state design patterns.
Going through these 5 chapters gives the reader the deep understanding of how to design state machines using UML and how they can be coded. This knowledge is universal and can be used with any CASE tool as well asfor manual coding only.

The second part (nearly 450 pages) is devoted to the description ofan inner construction and possible implementations of some kind of RTOS called QP. QP itself consists of Q Event Processor, Q event-driven Framework and Q preemptive Kernel.Part two is opened by the chapter called `Real-Time Framework Concepts'. It is especially useful for somebody who has so far used only home grown embedded systems with main loop and ISR. The chapter makes it clear to the reader what the benefits of using such infrastructure over homemade solution are.
The rest of the book is the detailed description of QP in action. The good information is that the reader learns a lot even if he is not going to use QP. The reason for that is a lot of information which describes general concepts e.g. `Synchronous and Asynchronous Preemptions' which are not specific for QP only.

The strong point of the book are many figures which clearly illustrate the author's ideas. The UML diagrams are used for state machines and class relationships descriptions. For data structures relations non UML notation is used just to show the concept in a convenient way. The C/C++ code itself is clean, nicely structured and intertwined with the explanations.

Because of these features I use the book as an educational aid for the graduates who join my team and need some introduction to real commercial programming.
... Read more

Product Description
Prentice Hall's most important C programming title in years. A companion volume to Kernighan & Ritchie's C PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE. A collection of reusable functions (code for building data structures, code for performing math functions and scientific calculations, etc.) which will save C programmers time and money especially when working on large programming projects. The C Library is part of the ANSI (American National Standard Institute) for the C Language. This new book contains the complete code for the library. It covers elements of the library with which even the most experienced C programmers are not familiar such as internationalization (the ability to write programs that can adapt to different cultural locales, for example, using the C library, programmers can write software that manipulates large character sets such as Kanji). Structured like the Standard C Library, it contains 15 headers declaring or defining all of the names in the library. A separate chapter covers each header, including excerpts from relevant portions of the C Standard showing all codes needed to implement each portion of the library and explaining why it is necessary. The book teaches readers the concepts and design issues associated with library building. Using this book, programemrs will be less likely to re-code something that already exists in a given program. Plauger is one of the world's leading experts on C and the C Library. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

The Standard C Library
Although the information in this book is crucial for C Programming, I was disappointed in the quality of the print.Some of the words are not even legible.

Industry Standard since I can remember
The Standard C Library has been an industry reference for real-time operation since it was introduced. Through many versions (K&R, ANSI, etc.) and revisions it has remained THE go-to book when you need to know how a standard library function works. Recommended for anyone using C, C++, C# etc. when you want to know how it REALLY works... and will remain a classic.

A "Must Have" Reference Book
When I bought this book, in college, I really didn't understand it. It didn't really give me much information, just had a bunch of code from the C standard libraries in it.

I picked it back up a few years after I started working in the real world and now had enough experience to realize what a gem this thing was. It basically implements (full source code) all the standard libraries. It let's you see how things work on the inside. It shows structs and accessible items that you may otherwise not even know it exists.

The best part is the source for standard library functions. This is a super handy gem if you are doing embedded code that doesn't have OS support. It was a wonderful help to me that let me write a few of the standard C functions that were handy to use when in an embedded environment where those functions weren't available. Many of these I could have done myself, but only with much though, time and testing. From here its virtually free.

This is a MUST HAVE book to any hard core C/C++ developer.

A Fantastic Resource!
Essential for C programmers who want to use as many library functions as possible to avoid reinventing the wheel. A must have.

A real programmer!
People sometimes make jokes about people who call them self's real programmers (and vise versa). But this is a book that a real programmer will have on their bookshelf as reference material, along with their copy of "The C++ Programming Language" and others. I have not referred to this book in years, but I have never regretted the purchase. It is rare that someone who probably wrote the library that you are using writes a book on it. So even though it is very technical, it is a must have for anyone who wishes to meet the same standards as "The Standard". ... Read more

Product Description
. A Microchip insider tells all on the newest, most powerful PICs ever!

. FREE CD-ROM includes source code in C, the Microchip C30 compiler, and MPLAB SIM software

. Includes handy checklists to help readers perform the most common programming and debugging tasks

The new 16-bit PIC24 chip provides embedded programmers with more speed, more memory, and more peripherals than ever before, creating the potential for more powerful cutting-edge PIC designs. This book teaches readers everything they need to know about these chips: how to program them, how to test them, and how to debug them, in order to take full advantage of the capabilities of the new PIC24 microcontroller architecture.

Author Lucio Di Jasio, a PIC expert at Microchip, offers unique insight into this revolutionary technology, guiding the reader step-by-step from 16-bit architecture basics, through even the most sophisticated programming scenarios. This book's common-sense, practical, hands-on approach begins simply and builds up to more challenging exercises, using proven C programming techniques. Experienced PIC users and newcomers to the field alike will benefit from the text's many thorough examples, which demonstrate how to nimbly side-step common obstacles, solve real-world design problems efficiently, and optimize code for all the new PIC24 features.

You will learn about:
. basic timing and I/O operations,
. multitasking using the PIC24 interrupts,
. all the new hardware peripherals
. how to control LCD displays,
. generating audio and video signals,
. accessing mass-storage media,
. how to share files on a mass-storage device with a PC,
. experimenting with the Explorer 16 demo board, debugging methods with MPLAB-SIM and ICD2 tools, and more!

·A Microchip insider tells all on the newest, most powerful PICs ever!

·Condenses typical introductory "fluff" focusing instead on examples and exercises that show how to solve common, real-world design problems quickly

·Includes handy checklists to help readers perform the most common programming and debugging tasks

·FREE CD-ROM includes source code in C, the Microchip C30 compiler, and MPLAB SIM software, so that readers gain practical, hands-on programming experience

·Check out the author's Web site at http://www.flyingpic24.com for FREE downloads, FAQs, and updates ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Somehow skewed
This ia good book but I wander what audience it was written for. The book assumes the reader is very well familiar with micro controllers and can just by glancing at the controller's diagram figure out what signals to send and where. At the same time it assumes that the reader is an absolute dummy in C.This would a hard to find combination though.
If you just want to start working with PIC24 family and want to buy a single goto book this is definitely not one of them.

A very good book to learn PIC C-30
I bought the book several months ago. At first I was very disappointed with it. As I tried to program the explorer 16 development board, with the examples in the book, nothing would work. My problem: I was looking for a cookbook on the PIC24, explorer 16 combo.

After checking with documents of the explorer 16 that I had and the one in the book some discrepancies were found. My version of the board was later than then the one used in the book, and some different pins were used. Since then I've got the examples to run with just a little modification of the code.

I've 25 years experience using PICs, but mostly with assembly coding on the PIC16s. I've learned a lot from the book on using C to program a PIC.This alone has made the cost of the book worthwhile to me. One improvement I would suggest is more information given about the configuration fuses the author used in the examples.

I would recommend buying this book if you're new to using C or the PIC24.

I liked it, but it's not a reference book!
I found this book very readable, but maybe not the best choice for beginners.The author, who writes in a pleasant conversational style, assumes you know a bit of 'C', a bit of assembly, and are basically familiar with the PIC processors.I was very pleased with his starting point.If you are like me, you want to make the jump to a controller that has enough oomph that it can be programmed in 'C', rather than just assembly like the 8-bit controllers we are used to.

Life is soooo much easier in 'C', for example you are shown how you can use printf() to print formatted numbers to the LCD and other devices.No more converting from binary to decimal and then to ASCII -- what a pain that was!Not any more.Floating point math?Easy as pie.Print to 2 decimal places...no problem-o!

The most interesting exercise for me was constructing a video signal using only two digital outputs and three resistors.I've always wondered how that was done. Wonder no more.

Although I am sure I will refer to this book from time to time in the future, in my opinion it is not a reference book.You will still need to download your data sheets and such.For me, it was more like an adventure book, or maybe that class you took long ago where you painlessly learned more than you thought you would.

Programming 16-bit microcontroller
Excellent book for beginners and hobbysts! Very very good examples from scratch and with clear explanations on what the code does.

Fast shipping and all arrived in very good condition.

Thanks

Flying the PIC24
This book is pretty good, but lacks the hardware explanations and schematics.It relies heavily on Microchip Explorer 16, but doesn't go into creating your own designs. ... Read more

Product Description
This practical, example-driven, code-centered book is intended for intermediate-level C programmers who want to take their skills to the next level. The book builds on readers' existing background in C to complete their knowledge of ANSI C libraries, and the conceptual and syntactic structures needed to master dynamic data structures, string parsing and numeric conversion, memory management, bit-level manipulation, interactions with operating systems, and other advanced techniques. What sets this book apart from traditional data structures books is it's "blue collar" approach to the art of programming -- how to master the "down in the trenches" C details to implement abstract ideas successfully. In recognition of this approach, the book presents actual C code rather than pseudocode. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

A very, very good book on C programming
If you want to get a deep and practical understanding of how to become a good C programmer,
and if you want to learn how to write good looking, readable, and efficient code in C, this is the book for you!
You will accomplish this in just about 260 pages.
With this book, i do recommend you to have some prior programming experience of C to be able to digest it.
But this is a very, very good book on C programming.

What a great find!
This may be the best book I have ever bought for any language! Very well written with examples of the features of the C language that you will use everyday. This book assumes that you know the basics of the language. There should be a book like this for every programming language. I especially appreciated the parts on pointers, memory management, and data structures. This book is sure to turn the some-what experienced C programmer into a real pro with good style and good problem analysis skills. It has helped me get passed the basics and move on to the next level with a solid knowledge base and confidence. Buy it if you can find it! Worth every penny and more!

Great book
If you're looking for a concise and throughout book in C programming. Don't look further!
I wouldn't recommend it for beginners though (as the title says it's for advanced programmers)! If you're beginner I'd recommend to start with C in 21 days from Sams publishing or similar book.

A fantastic and difficult book on C
I own hundreds of programming texts and this is by far one of my very favorites, and my absolute favorite book on C.

This book tackles the tougher issues of C programming in great detail, with concise and self-contained examples you can type in directly, compile and run (many books only provide code sections, not entire programs).

Each chapter includes quiz questions that are just difficult enough to challenge the reader, but not so difficult that you will skip over them. I found the quizes to be very useful.

This book is pleasantly slim (although dense). Does anyone really read those 800 page books? I don't. This book will take you a long time, as the content is dense, but you can actually read the whole book and get a sense of completion.

I also enjoyed the author's commentary on C and other programming languages.

I'm really amazed that more people do not own this book.

A must-have book!
I've got a few C-programming books, but this is the one that I love best of all.It is a gem of a book that resonates with simple, crystal-clear explanations on topics so seemingly difficult to understand in the classicbook by Kernighan and Ritchie.I would recommend using these two bookstogether.

What makes this book even more entertaining and readable isthat Perry is not afraid to lay on his idiosyncrasies regarding thepractice of programming.There is a little hiccup, though, when herecommends the use of gets() and sscanf() together for nearly all input ofstrings from the terminal: gets() is widely known to be inferior tofgets(), and sscanf() is not discussed in the book at all!

But all inall, a book that deserves full marks. ... Read more

Product Description
A guide designed for programmers with desktop experience in C. Key techniques required in all embedded systems are covered in detail, including the control of port pins and the reading of switches. Full source code on CD-ROM. Softcover. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A good Keil/C intro
I read this alongside C and the 8051 (4th edition) by Thomas Schultz and it worked well.

I saw a comment about the over-emphasis on code structure, that's where this book is strong and the other less so.

A good pairing my opinion.

Thanks Michael!!

Best book on microcontroller C programming I've read
I've read several books on using C code to program the 8051 microcontroller (Shultz's [1st ed], Parab's and Calcutt's) and this one is by far the best - no doubt.I had a only basic understanding of c programming before reading the book.

Desent Book, but a few side notes....
First off, I am a hobbyst and this is my first book to buy on embedded microcontrollers so I dont have much to compare it to. I found this book easy to read. It has some very useful information on the programming side but you are left hanging a little bit on the hardware side. Just a note: you need to be pretty familiar with C# to find this book useful. If you have never taken a class or gone through an online tutorial over C# then you will be a little lost. I recommend going through an online tutorial before starting this book. The CD that is provided with the book includes an 8051 microcontroller simulator. This simulator is used as the source of your hardware. You write a program in the simulator, run the code, and you will see a few check boxes blinking on the screen that represent the in/out pins on the microcontroller. The simulator will also allow you to pull up some timing graphs and a few other tools but that is about it. Overall this book was helpful and probably a good place to start if you are familiar with C#, as I stated before I wish there was a little more explanation on wiring and other hardware components. I have ordered another book that should arrive in a few days that comes with a hardware kit to experiment with. "C Programming for Microcontrollers". If you go to the authors website you can buy the hardware kit that goes with the book. When I get done with the next book and hardware kit hopefully I will have a better understanding for the hardware.

Great intro to embedded programming
This book was fantastic. Well written and organized. I think I have all the tools I need to start designing my software intelligently. I will be picking up his other book.

He includes a lot of code that I found somewhat useless (it's on the CD, after all). I would have preferred to see ONLY small snippets taken out and discussed. A minor gripe.

If you are going to be developing embedded code for the 8051 family of processors (or if you are new to embedded software), you need this book.

Very easy to understand
This book covers the basics of embedded programming on an 8051 microcontroller. It is very easy to read and understand and comes with an evaluation version of the keil compiler. Simulation software is built into the compiler so you can test your code on a simulated 8051 device. This is a good book for a beginner to embedded programming. ... Read more

Product Description
This detailed work looks at the portability, execution efficiency and programming application techniques of the Advanced C language. Examples are given of how Advanced C applications can be moved form system to system. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Available Electronically from Authors
This book is no longer in print but is available directly from the authors in electronic form (PDF file). See their web site and contact them via email.

Excellent C Examples
This book provides many excellent C examples and techniques in array manipulation, pointers and some other techniques. Very good reference for professional programmer.

An excellent composition of advanced concepts and reference.
It takes you through the rough edges of C in greatdetail unlike other "highly rated" books which merely presents concepts. Discussion on RTE, compact pointer experessions are a special treat. It makes you look at C with a "compiler perspective", a must for an advanced background. Recommended for everyone who likes C and wants to get serious!! ... Read more

Product Description
This text focuses on programming skills, and is intended for readers who do not have any previous programming experience. The author is selective in covering C, addressing only those aspects of the language that are of immediate use to an introductory level reader. The text takes a step-by-step pedagogical approach to teaching C, dramatically reducing the complexity inherent in a typically difficult to learn, but explosively popular, computer language. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent starting point - and a great 'basic' reference
I was surprised to find this title on Amazon, as I thought it might be available only in Australia.

This book was prescribed reading for a University course I was enrolled in. The course was basically an introduction to programming in C. If there is an introductory text on programming in any language that presents the information in a more user-friendly manner, then I have yet to see it. I have found myself referring to it again and again throughout my now completed studies. If you are going to learn C (or even C++, as this book provides a great foundation in programming style) then you MUST HAVE this book!

Provides a solid basis for learning to program!!

A good book for beginners
This a good book for beginners.Especially students or people justentering programming.The use of examples and comparisons helps make thelearning process easy!!!! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book for those who wish to go beyond the basics of C
I had picked up Mr. Holzner's "Assembly Language for Pascal Programmers" a year ago and found that his method of presenting and explaining working examples to be easy to follow and insightful. But he used a lot of comparison to Pascal code which I knew little about, being someone who only knew the basics of C/C++.

So I got this book and am delighted in actually learning C beyond the basics of variables, pointers, flow control, structures, etc. (which he covers quickly in chapter 1). My only complaint is that chapters 7 and 8 are pretty much a rehash of the same material in the Pascal book mentioned above, but it's still a great introduction to 80x86 assembly.

There are three main topics covered in the book: The C library, advanced C techniques and assembly (with inline assembly and linking assembly funtions with C object files).

The chapters are

Ch. 1 - C From Ordinary to Extraordinary
Ch. 2 - File Handling
Ch. 3 - Graphics
Ch. 4 - Databasing
Ch. 5 - C and Memory
Ch. 6 - Debugging C
Ch. 7 - Welcome to Assembly Language
Ch. 8 - An Assembly Primer
Ch. 9 - Interfacing Assembly Language to C
Ch. 10 - Assembly Language Expertise ... Read more

Product Description
Practical Digital Video with Programming Examples in C Written by an innovator in motion video, this practical, user-friendly guide synthesizes all the vital elements of PC motion video technology in an accessible, nonmathematical way. It helps software developers gain a comprehensive working knowledge of video and multimedia programming. Requiring an essential understanding of electronics and PCs, the book includes twenty software examples with source code to demonstrate state-of-the-art technology and the use of commercial products. This unique resource:

• Details the differences between graphical and natural images, and the reasons for compressing image data
• Describes and compares various kinds of computer displays, including their suitability to natural video
• Explains various methods of color representation and their particular uses in multimedia
• Highlights major data compression techniques and their application in multimedia
• Discusses the full range of available video storage techniques
• Presents several PC video hardware systems and illustrates their effective use
• Covers two mainstream PC video environments—Microsoft Video for Windows and Apple Quicktime
• Spotlights the various ways of processing video information
• Includes detailed references for major digital video standards and storage formats

Customer Reviews (5)

An error that cost me five hours
On page 390, Figure 11.15 shows the order of blocks within an MPEG macroblock as Y Cr Cb. This is wrong; the correct order is Y Cb Cr. That error cost me five hours on a very time-critical project.

That's not to say the book is completely useless. But that's a pretty serious error in a book that's supposed to help programmers.

Practical Digital Video With Programming Examples in C
I was disappointed. I chose the book hoping to learn how to deal with some of the basic issues in the programming of video.
It would have been nice to get a subpixel motion example as well as how to deal with fields when you are scaling an image
instead I get overviews on compression, VFW and colorspace.
What I am trying to say is that there wasnt much in the way of practical video programming. The other iratation was there was no CD included. So you have transfer every example by hand.

A very practical introduction to digital video
It is an interesting book for programmers who want to understand how digital video is processed, starting with simple and comprehensive introduction on different storage media types like magnetic disks, tapes and optical storage. Another interesting part is how video camera work and how computer displays work. These introductions would help in understanding the following sections that cover data compression and image and video processing standards like jpeg, mpeg, and h261. The source code is useful but it needs more explanation for non-highly skilled programmers in C. Overall it is one of the best books that I've read.

An oldie but a goodie
The question that needs to be answered about this book is, why wouldanyone still buy and use a book on computer video that is this old? Theanswer is that it does a few things better than any other book I know of,and a number of other things well enough that you don't need to lookelsewhere.

What are those things? First, its brief coverage of JPEG andMPEG-1 are the best single-chapter coverages from a programming point ofview ("where are the bits?"-type stuff) of anything I have everseen. It isn't enough to create a working JPEG or MPEG codec by itself, butthis is the place to start if you need to get the idea. You will then needto turn to much more elaborate coverage [I use _JPEG: Still Image DataCompression Standard_ by William Pennebaker and Joan Mitchell (Van NostrandReinhold, 1993) for JPEG and _MPEG Video Compression Standard_ by JoanMitchell, William Pennebaker, Chad Fogg, and Didier LeGall (Chapman &Hall, 1996) for MPEG]. However, this book is a great place to get the bigpicture from a programming point of view before slogging through themountain of necessary gritty detail.

Second, this book is the last thingI know of that is in print and addresses the Video for Windows API. ThisAPI continues to be the most widely supported API for computer video underWindows, but Microsoft expunged all documentation of it a few years ago --long before Active Movie was ready to roll. And the current generation ofDirect-X based video under Windows is still heavily based on Video forWindows -- it is very helpful to understand that API. The book only has acouple dozen pages on the topic, but it's the only game in town onVfW.

Third, its coverage of color space conversions between RGB and CCIR601, NTSC, SECAM, and PAL is clear and correct.

Finally, its "yourfriend the video signal" chapters are as much as a programmer needs toknow about such things, and geared to those of us who aren't gearheads.

Ihave never found Mr. Mattison's code particularly useful. I find his quickdiscussion of image processing of no value. I have never encountered anyonewho needed to know anything about the H.261 video compression standard. AndI would not bother to read what he had to say about storage media back in1994. But there is still enough meat on these bones to make this book onethat I turn to with enough regularity that I would buy a replacement copyeven now if I ever lost mine.

The text integrates well EE and programming concepts.
The text is a must for all needing fundamental concepts in video hardwareand software. The electronics, the color systems, the signal processingalgorithms, and the data structures for programming are very well laid inlogical order. In addition the diskettes included in the kit containvaluable practical examples in C. ... Read more

Product Description

Written by a software developer for software developers, this book is a unique collection of the latest software development methods. The author includes OOD, UML, Design Patterns, Agile and XP methods with a detailed description of a complete software design for reusable programs in C++ and Java. Using a practical, problem-solving approach, it shows how to develop an object-oriented application—from the early stages of analysis, through the low-level design and into the implementation. Walks readers through the designer's thoughts — showing the errors, blind alleys, and creative insights that occur throughout the software design process. The book covers: Statics and Dynamics; Principles of Class Design; Complexity Management; Principles of Package Design; Analysis and Design; Patterns and Paradigm Crossings. Explains the principles of OOD, one by one, and then demonstrates them with numerous examples, completely worked-through designs, and case studies. Covers traps, pitfalls, and work arounds in the application of C++ and OOD and then shows how Agile methods can be used. Discusses the methods for designing and developing big software in detail. Features a three-chapter, in-depth, single case study of a building security system. For Software Engineers, Programmers, and Analysts who want to understand how to design object oriented software with state of the art methods.

Customer Reviews (34)

What every software engineer should read
This has to be one of the most practical books I have ever read on the practices of software programming. It gives realistic business situations and gives step by step instructions how to deal with them. Very practical and useful.

An excellent introduction by examples
This is an excellent introduction to the Agile Software Development concept for anyone who learns best from examples. Mr. Martin's book is essentially a collection of introductory concepts and principles he has spoken or written about elsewhere.Much of it may be available on the web with some searching but here it is organized logically into 3 major approaches to learning: concepts, principles, and case studies.In the first chapters Mr. Martin takes us on a high flyover of Agile Software concepts such as extreme programming and test-driven development practices.Next he takes us through Java and C++ examples to demonstrate programming with key principles in mind such as "The Single-Responsibility Principle" and "The Interface-Segregation Principle." Finally he sums up the concepts and principles by examples using several real world case studies.

Mr. Martin is a master at this sort of approach to teaching software design.Those familiar with his work will immediately recognize his hand.Some (perhaps most) learn well from this approach and the organization of the book lends itself well to a classroom study or self-directed learning. This is an excellent introduction to an important and timely topic.

Are you part of the problem or are you part of the solution in the disaster that is software development?
Reader,

This book addresses some of the key reasons software continues to fail. It firmly ends the discussion that was never relevant of 'Agile means you do not have to REALLY known OO design'.

Indeed to be 'Agile' and not create iteratively 'crap', the only real way is via your mastery of OO Design. Long term systems that withstand change do not happen via accidential discovery with a lack of vision and core design at the core.

You can work in software with a lot of gaps, but the content here defines what is mandatory for even moderate levels of interesting work.

Do you agree in the following as a common value of `good' for software?

FROM: http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-1050347.html

Good design

Well-designed applications offer software components that are more robust, more maintainable, and more reusable. Such applications should be able to adapt changing business needs without affecting design. For example, a banking application should be able to support new types of accounts without a change in the existing design.

Three key points of good design are:

Maintainability, which is the ease with which a software system or component can be modified to adapt to changing environments, improve performance, correct faults, or other attributes. Well-designed applications require fewer resources for maintenance and changes.

Reusability, which is the degree to which a software module or components can be used in more than one computing program or software system. Reusability of software components helps ensure faster development of software applications.

Robustness, which is the stability of software applications in extreme situations (e.g., maximum load conditions, erroneous user inputs). Robust applications have less downtime and can reduce maintenance costs.

Bad design
Nobody plans to create ill-designed applications. It often happens because of a lack of experience or because the app was designed quickly to meet an extremely tight deadline. Poorly designed applications usually have these problems in common:

They're rigid. A design is rigid if it cannot be easily changed. For example, a single change to heavily interdependent, rigid software could begin a cascade of changes in dependent packages. When such a program grows in size, the designers or maintainers cannot predict the extent of that cascade of change, and the impact of the change cannot be estimated. This makes the cost of the change impossible to estimate.
They're fragile. Poorly created programs have a tendency to break in many places when a single change is made. Simple changes to one part of the application can lead to failures in other parts that appear to be completely unrelated. Fixing those problems leads to even more issues, and the maintenance process begins to resemble a dog chasing its tail. Such fragility greatly decreases the credibility of the design and maintenance organization, which leaves users and managers unable to predict the future quality of the product.


They're not reusable. A design is difficult to reuse when its desirable parts are highly dependent upon other details, which aren't desired. If the design is highly interdependent, other designers will also be daunted by the amount of work necessary to separate the desirable portion of the design from the parts that aren't reusable. In most such cases, the cost of the separation is deemed to be higher than the cost of redevelopment of the design.

Still with me? Ok..


.NET developers historically have lacked (as compared to other OFA (one framework only) developers) at the very, very least) acceptable OO Design skills. I mean even remotely `predictably' acceptable. Sure I worked with many teams who were exceptions but they were all from other (Java/Smalltalk) environments. Even C++ developers can slant to a master of C, deep internals, and Fragile Base Class disaster (grin). So Microsoft would have been nuts as they have always know this to put multiple-inheritance into C#. I digress... This is relevant to the book I swear....

Uncle Bob Martin created a masterpiece here that is still just as (more?) relevant. It is utterly transformative for anyone who wants to be even remotely productive on a team of best-practice types.

FYI this is the book used when I teach 'Core Object Oriented Design for the C# Developer' around the country.

NOTE: Do not let the word 'Agile' fool you. This is a book about best practices in software design and development. Agile just assumes you already know this material, yet most I work with do not.

He provides definitive coverage of the most critical reasons for failure if you skip then. For example, inheritance in OO is wrong for most cases used today in .NET.

Liskov substitution principle
Read this (covered in detail in this book):


Kind Regards,
Damon Wilder Carr
http://blog.domaindotnet.com

It's a great book
It's a great book. As a senior developer with more than 5 year's experieces of Object-Oriented Design, I think this is a valuable pragmatic book about how to do in a practical project.

Good book
I bought this for my brother.Got for a good deal on Amazon.Very happy with the fast delivery by Amazon. ... Read more

Product Description
PIC Microcontrollers are present in almost every new electronic application that is released from garage door openers to the iPhone. With the proliferation of this product more and more engineers and engineers-to-be (students) need to understand how to design, develop, and build with them. Martin Bates, best-selling author, has provided a step-by-step guide to programming these microcontrollers (MCUs) with the C programming language.

With no previous knowledge of C necessary to read this book, it is the perfect for entry into this world for engineers who have not worked with PICs, new professionals, students, and hobbyists. As MCUs become more complex C is the most popular language due to its ability to process advanced processes and multitasking. RTOSs, that is a need to know for engineers, is also discussed as more advanced MCUs require timing and organization of programming and implementation of multitasking. The book includes lots of source code, circuit schematics, and hardware block diagrams. Microchip's PICDEM Mechatronics board is used to detail the examples throughout the book.

*Focuses on the C programming language which is by far the most popular for microcontrollers (MCUs)
*Features Proteus VSMg the most complete microcontroller simulator on the market, along with CCS PCM C compiler, both are highly compatible with Microchip tools
*Extensive downloadable content including fully worked examples ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Actually teaches embedded C!
Conclusion:
This was the book that "got me over the hump" and I am now comfortably programming PIC microcontrollers in C using the CCS compiler.Overall, I am very happy with this purchase and think that the price is very reasonable for the knowledge that you gain from this text.

Comments:
If you know about embedded systems, you know that they are the most basic elements of circuitry.All they are is a chip and you have to figure out how to make it "Go" and do something useful.Just getting it to turn on takes an organized act of programming and hardware together.By contrast, most books on learning C programming start with the almost famous printf ("Hello World"); program that requires not only that the processor be running, but that it have some kind of output device (Monitor, printer, etc.) attached to it and be working.In other words, this is practically impossible to accomplish as you have to have a completely functional system and a high level of proficiency in programming before you can even start to learn how to program.I own a sizable stack of books on learning C and they all subscribe to this same backwards technique and have all proved useless toward actually learning C on embedded systems.Martin Bates book is the first one that I have read that starts with turning the processor on and takes you through turning an LED on which is a realistic example of a first C program with a microcontroller.You already have a half-dozen or so projects under your belt before you see a printf statement, which is the ONLY way to do it in an embedded world.

I don't really have all that much negative to say about this book.It does use the Proteus simulator for most of the projects in the beginning, which I elected not to use and to do it all in actual hardware.I am not interested in trying to learn two tools at the same time, so this caused me to have to "modify" the programs slightly to run on my hardware.This was ultimately a good thing and helped me learn, but it is notable.The middle section of the book uses the actual hardware from the Microchip PICDEM Mechatronics board that has motors and stuff on it, which makes that part kind of fun to do.

Another thing that I would like to address is the other reviews talking about the membership to the website and all of that.This is not a required part of the curriculum and is barely mentioned.I never looked for it as I didn't need it.

Need to focus on programing
I purchased and read the book and was a bit disappointed in the author. I felt he talked more about the developed tools then programming. Not all users own CCS software to write C codes and I felt the author should have cover more on the programming of how to set up header files ect. I use Hi-tech software for writing my C codes and not all of the codes in his book worked with Hi-tech software. I also went to the web pages that the author mentions in his book and I could not get on the web page. I would rate this book very low unless you have the CCS software to work with this book. This book made me much wiser on the purchase of my next book.

A manual not a textbook
I consider this to be the worst kind of textbook, unsure of what might be a reader's previous experience, at one and the same time assuming certain information while supplying information that would likely be learnt at the same time as the assumed information. It is vague in its starting position, theoretically weak in its content, and constituted mainly from material that is available in any decent C-language book like K&R, the manual for a compiler targeted at the processor, and the data sheet from the microcontroller manufacturer. Books by the likes of Wilmshurst or Wolf are much better, and better value.

False advertisement
The book itself is fine and I got it, but I specifically ordered this book because it said that it would be here that friday after I ordered it. Well it took about a week longer than it said. I missed my homework assignment because of this.

Not as advertised - beware
The printed content of this book seems reasonable for the price if a bit lower level than expected.However, the book claims to provide membership to a web site that would provide additional specific tools for PIC use and applications.This access is not available.The tools are not available.Attempts to contact the author and the publisher to resolve this issue went unanswered.Amazon customer support could not resolve this issue either. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (12)

Beginners: This is the one, forget about all the rest.
I've checked out a couple of Mac App programming books and mostly they were either geared towards advanced readers or simply outdated. I consider myself somewhat adept in programming, so this book was a bit overly meticulous in explaining how to code. That's why I took one star off; if you're a complete and utter newbie there's no reason for this to be your very first book on programming and you're probably better off picking up something more basic. I think mostly this book is read by people who at least have some knowledge in development, and therefore this book tends to linger on elementary fluff instead of getting on with it. Nonetheless, it's filled with a lot of great tools, and written in a very pragmatic way, and becomes less annoying as the pages turn.

Very well written book!
I have used many programming-type do-it-yourself books before.Some have been better than others, but this book is the best I have seen so far.It is clear and concise and makes as few assumptions as possible when explaining different topics.Object-Oriented Programming was not easy for me to pick up and this book has done what others books have not; this is, successfully teach me.I have never programmed in Mac before and I am on chapter 7 and doing just fine. You actually do work and that makes a big difference.

Each topic is backed up with examples that make sense and the author has a great bed-side manner - which is important; you never feel overwhelmed or too dumb. He explains something then guides you through a relevant example, step-by-step. I have not noticed ANY mistakes in the examples at all. I have gone over topics in this book and the light has gone on when other books have left me in the dark.

I have a modest programming background so I wasn't starting completely from scratch - but this book has me excited about creating my own Mac Applications soon.

UPDATE:
I'm done with the book and have no changes to the review above. There were so few typos, that I don't think there were any at all. The author and editor are to be congratulated. I wish they had a follow-on book for more advanced topics.

Good Book
The book is good.Only issue I have is that if you had an issue with a section (like chapter 7), then the examples in chapter 8 go to improve on the work already done in chapter 7.Not too much of an issue, the code is available on the website for the book.I just came back to it and built on (sometimes you just need a break).Overall content is good and gets you working on Mac programming right away.You concentrate on the important aspects of Mac programming. Good book to come back to when working with Mac programming.

Small, incremental, successful learning
This is the third book in my attempt to learn to program with objective-c and on the mac. The first two, while covered lots of details, left me feeling like I had to follow the tutorials or I was hopelessly lost. I am getting excited working with this book since I finally feel like I'm getting a good understanding of how to program on the Mac.

It could be that working through those other Obj-C books allowed me to understand this book with greater ease but there is one thing this author does that I haven't seen much of. He carefully introduces new concepts and gently repeats them (without forcing you to flip back to page whatever). He is careful not to breeze through concepts assuming I know them. I would guess that the first few times he mentions a new concept while working on a project he explains what that concepts does and briefly how it works. Very helpful because this stuff is very abstract and can get confusing quickly. Later on he might reduce what was 4 steps in the first chapter to a single step but so far that hasn't hung me up anywhere. Now that I think about it, I don't think I've had to jump back to previous pages at all. At least very little.

Additionally, I am halfway through the book and he has been smart about building projects. There are two projects so far and he is slowly building up the complexity rather than wasting my time doing the exact same thing, like setting up a project. It makes for a very natural feeling of progression in both introduction of ideas and feeling of success. Small, incremental, successful learning is really important and the author does an excellent job of cultivating that in this book.

I am very pleased with this text and author and I intend to buy more book written by Mr. Isted.

skips around a bit
my copy arrived today, and i am pleased with the content. although this is not really a reference for later, the tutorials are explained well -- with the exception of the constant skipping around (see previous chapter, don't worry about this we'll cover it 3 chapters from now).

i would place this high on the list of books for noobs to get going with...but i think the apress Obj-C for absolute beginners (coming in august 2010) may be better.

that said, i was pleased with the book but the missing star is for the jumping. ... Read more

Product Description
C By Example makes programming easy to learn for the beginning programmer. It builds your programming skills by using clear, easy-to-understand exercises. Hands-on, real world examples show you how to write programs that flow correctly and produce accurate results. At the end of the book, you will use the concepts you have learned to build a blackjack game. Also included is an appendix that discusses where to find compilers, other C resources, where to go from here, and what kinds of careers you could go into with the knowledge she gained from the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

excellent core tutorial
If you are familiar with other programming languages and want to pick up C, this book is organized in such a way as to make it easy and intuitive.The publication follows a very straightforward and cohesive path to get you up and running while making sure you are aware of the fundamentals.

Underated Book Very Good for fundamental C
I wasn't expecting much after reading some of the reviews.You know alot of times you'll see a book or product rated very high or very low and you'll get the product and it will be just the opposite of how it is rated.

My other 2 books on C are "Practical C Programming" by Steve Oualline and "A Book On C" by Kelly and Pohl.Practical C programming started out really good but quickly died off so I stopped reading that one.A book on C is very poorly organized and just jumps into various subject as if you have a background in C so I put that book down.I'm using these books for reference until I get other books in the mail.Since I've got C by Example I'm already on Chapter 8 and have not one complaint about the book just wish I could master these difficult topics more quickly.In fact I flipped ahead a bit and can see it is very well written and very well structured compared to the other books I have on the subject.

I was very surprised after having 3 books on C and this being by far the best to see so many negative comments so I thought I would review.I mean I can go through chapter by chapter and nit pick every detail or cry and complain that this book isn't for me as other have done but seriously give it a chance.I mean come on this is a hard subject to learn and if you don't put something into it you might as well get out your shovel and put your energy into that.This is a very good book for serious beginners.

I would rate this book 4 but since some of the ratings were very low I gave it a 5 but I would probably say it is a 4.5.A 4 just because it could have been better and because I don't like to rate everything 5 because it's good.5 should be preserved for the best.My only nit pick is it is C by example but I felt I need more examples lol but what can you expect from one book. Nevertheless this book will definitely help you get up and running and learn the basic fundamentals of C in a practical way. If your expecting a holy grail to teach you everything there is to know about a complex subject that takes yrs to master good luck in finding one.Intelligent people know there's know holy grail to such a subject and if there was everyone would be programmers. This is a good choice especially for the price.It is worth just as much if not more than the other more expensive and higher rated books.

I plan on reading this book about 3-5 times myself before I jump into more advanced topics to gain a solid foundation in C and I might even try those books that I put down after I read this one.Where the other books have skimmed over various topics, C by example goes into fair enough detail to learn the beginning concepts and I highly recommend it for beginners especially if this is your 1st book on C.

Thank you, Mr Perry for such a great beginner book on C!!

One of my favorite books ever.
I accidentally threw this book out. I read it years ago and I am just now writing my review :) I'm considering buying this book again! It was that good. It was one of my first programming books I ever read and I loved how easy it was and taught me the basics of C. I wish all programming books were as easy and as enjoyable to read as I remember this one was to read.

If you have never been exposed to C, this is the book
This is an excellent book for beginners. I am fluent in Visual Basic but I had never been exposed to C. Suddenly I find myself needing to develop DLLs in C. I was scared to death because of the short time I had to catch up. I did not think C was that easy to understand until I started reading this book. Even if your previous knowledge on programming is very poor, this book will take you step by step so that you will be soon programming. The style in which it is written is very clear and simple, with very good down-to-earth explanations. The examples are very simple, they just show the concepts and are far from being a technical challenge, but they serve their purpose well. Mistakes: there may be a few, but nothing that can drive you lost (at least to me). However, it does not say much about using a compiler and if you are looking for advanced topics this is not the book, but, in this regard, the editor is very honest: at the back cover you can read it is for beginning to intermediate level users. I am ready to jump into the advanced texts. Thanks Mr. Perry.

For Beginners Only
This book is for the beginners and not for the Advanced C# programmer. There are a few statement structure mistakes in the book, but i would have never knew that unless i had read the fabulos book. The author also responds to your questions which is a plus although he may take a while since he is a buzy individual.

What could have made this book really better though is some excercises to be done to test your C# programming knowledge, to see if u really understand it.

All in all if you are looking for a book to start you up on C# programming this is the book for you. ... Read more

Product Description
Mastering Algorithms with C offers robust solutions for everydayprogramming tasks. This book avoids the abstract style of most classicdata structures and algorithms texts, yet provides all the information you need to understand and use common programming techniques. Intendedfor anyone with a basic understanding of the C language, it includesimplementations and real-world examples of each data structure andalgorithm in the text, plus full source code on the accompanying disk. Using both a programming style and a writing style that are exceptionally clean, Kyle Loudon shows you how to use such essential data structures as lists, stacks, queues, sets, trees, heaps, priority queues, and graphs. He shows you how to use algorithms for sorting, searching, numerical analysis, data compression, data encryption, common graph problems, and computational geometry. He also describes the relative efficiency of all implementations.Amazon.com Review
Written with the intermediate to advanced C programmer inmind, Mastering Algorithms with C delivers a no-nonsense guideto the most common algorithms needed by real-world developers.

Thehighlight of the book has to be its concise and readable C functionsfor all the algorithms presented here, including basics like linkedlists, stacks to trees, graphs, and sorting/searching algorithms. TheC functions that implement these algorithms are clearly printed andremarkably easy to read. You can use this sample code directly oradapt it into your C/C++ code.

Although mathematical concepts likeBig-O notation are discussed, the authors don't get bogged down in thecomputer science theory surrounding algorithms. Instead, they presentthe most tried-and-true algorithms available today in an efficientformat. Besides introducing each algorithm, they describe how each isused in computing today, along with a short demo application. Some ofthese samples are quite low-level, such as a virtual memory managerimplemented with linked lists. Most examples are more of generalinterest, such as a graphing example that counts network hops.

Each section ends with questions and answers about how the algorithmswork, along with references to other algorithms (both in the book andfrom other sources). The authors concentrate on the most usefulalgorithms available today and don't try to cover every availablevariation. Busy readers will appreciate the intelligent selection--andefficient presentation--used here.

There are a number of books on Calgorithms, but Master Algorithms with C is one of the mostconcise and immediately useful. It's a perfect choice for the workingC/C++ programmer who's in a hurry to find just the right algorithm forwriting real-world code. --Richard Dragan

Topicscovered: Algorithm efficiency, pointer basics, arrays, recursion,Big-O Notation, linked lists, stacks, queues, sets, hash tables, treesand B-trees, searching, heaps and priority queues, graphs, sorting andsearching algorithms, numerical methods, data compression, Huffmancoding, LZ77, data encryption, DES, RSA, graph algorithms, minimumspanning trees, geometric algorithms, and convex hulls. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Good book, bad code... it could be better...
Hi:

Well, this book has a lot of very interesting programming issues, like pointers, recursion, linked lists, stacks & queues, trees, etc, etc...
All of these issues are very well explained and have many code examples, but here is the big problem of this book:
The comment style of the code examples is ridiculous!!!
The author used five lines of code when he could use only one!!!
Like this:

/*********************
*
* Absurd comment...
*
*********************/

This makes slower and really uncomfortable the lecture of the code.

Anyway, having this book you'll learn a lot of advanced C programming issues.

Considering 'Algorithms with C'
Things I didn't know when I ordered this book was how structured the book was. It's easy to comprehend and doesn't contain too much unnecessary information. Furthermore, what I also managed to miss was the disc which was included, and this contains more in-depth code, which allows one to check a whole program instead of only a part.
It is definitely a good decision to start with buying this book if you're studying Algorithms with C, since this will truly help and support you on your way.

Probably OK
The book is probably OK, but there are better, much better ones on the subject. I highly recommend looking at "The Algorithm Design Manual", just search Amazon and you'll find it.

good, concise algorithm book ruined by comment
compare to most algorithm/data structure books out there, this book is not as complete as those, but it's much easier to read, and diagrams in this book is well drawn and much eaiser to follow. Why would I only give it 3 stars? One thing really ruined this book - obviously the publisher/editor/author try to increase the total page number by putting ridiculously big comment block in sample code(single line comments takes about 5 lines, all surrounded by '*' and spaces) This made the sample code difficult to read, imagine a 5 line function has to be printed in 2 or 3 pages.

Good book, but HORRIBLE CODING STYLE!!!
The book contents is good, the algorithms presented are more or less well explained and the implementeations themselves are not bad (but could be better).

Unfortunately this book has 2 mayor problems:

Sometimes you need an implementation of an algorithm for which you already know the inner-workings, just need quick code instead of reinvening the wheel yourself... the book will not allways give you that, it will sometimes build an algorithm based on previous ones! Darn!, I am supposed to go straight to the point I want and get the code without having to read a couple of previous sections.

Second and worst of all is the coding style this guy has. I don't know what the other reviwer that said that the code is great programs in but certainly not in C. The author of the book simply has the worst style ever... look at the comments, a one line comment surrounded by a box!!! give-me-a-break!... where did he learn this? He should read a book about style, perhaps read Code Complete by Steve McConnel or something before attempting to write code. Anyway this is just one of the many style flaws this book has.

If I could I would return it, after all, you can get mostly any implementation from the internet (I had to do that or would have wasted lots of time and... time is money).

If well written, the book would have been 1/2 its size and then it would have been good.

Why 3 stars? Well, in spite of the poor programming style and bad presentation of some algorithms, if you have time and patience, you get someting out of the book. Just don't use the coding style he uses... if you try that at work you would be fired or at least laughed at. ... Read more