C is a popular, simple, and flexible general-purpose programming language. It is a machine-agnostic structured programming language and is commonly utilized in many applications.
One of the most popular programming languages used in modern times is C. As a system programming language, C was created with the intention of low-level handling operations like memory management and I/O. In order to be portable, the language was written to be interpreted rather than compiled.
Due to its portability across numerous operating systems and hardware platforms, C is a suitable language for building applications. Since its release, C has developed into a language with many applications or a general-purpose language.
Why Learn C Programming?
There are multiple languages that one can learn but why start with C? The primary benefit of learning C is that it serves as the basis for entering the field of programming. There are various C Programming books that you can use as resources if you wish to deepen your understanding of this programming language. Let’s talk about a few of them now.
Top C Books
1. C Programming Absolute Beginner’s Guide
Author: Greg Perry and Dean Miller
The book is created for those who wish to learn C programming but have never written a line of code in their lives. It begins with simple and easy-to-understand instructions on the fundamentals of programming before building on that foundation and introducing fresh ideas in C programming.
The book provides step-by-step tutorials and is a quick method to become comfortable with the C programming language.
Each topic is presented step-by-step with code examples so that readers may completely grasp the idea by looking at the actual code rather than just reading about it.
You will discover the fundamentals of C programming as you read this book, which will enable you to comprehend the programs you create and create your own. The reader gains knowledge about structuring programs, storing and presenting data, variables, operators, I/O, functions, strings, and many other topics.
2. Head First C: A Brain-Friendly Guide
Author: David Griffiths
You can learn everything there is to know about the C language from this book. This guidebook uses a special approach that goes beyond syntax and how-to books to teach you the language while also assisting you in understanding what makes a great programmer.
Many essential concepts of the C programming language are covered in this book, including language principles, pointers and pointer arithmetic, and dynamic memory management.
Additionally, this book includes in-depth exercises designed to challenge you and refine your abilities.
3. The C Programming Language
Author: Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie
This book is acknowledged as one of the best books to learn C programming and is regarded as the holy book for programmers of all skill levels. The book includes difficult tasks that go through all of the key C programming topics, assisting you in becoming a good C programmer.
This book walks you through the syntax and standard library of the C programming language. You’ll discover how to create effective, maintainable, and efficient computer programs.
This edition contains additional information on data structures, algorithms, and object-oriented programming in addition to being extensively updated to reflect the most recent language and standard library features.
4. C: The Complete Reference
Author: Herbert Schildt
A thorough, in-depth, and useful introduction to the language is what this book seeks to offer. The first half of the book gives a general introduction to the C language, including its history and philosophical underpinnings, its syntax and semantics, its data types and control flow, as well as its functions, arrays, strings, and modules.
The second half is devoted to C libraries and tools, such as the command-line tools, the C++ library, C runtime library, and the C library for mathematical functions.
The writers spend a lot of time on the development of the language, its history, and how to program in C. The standard library and the specifics of how C programs operate are also covered in great detail.
Anyone interested in learning C or who wants a deeper grasp of the language should read this book, in my opinion. It does a decent job of reinforcing the material covered in a conventional C programming course, but it also contains a lot of information that is not often covered in a classroom.
5. C Programming: A Modern Approach
Author: K. N. King
A thorough and extensive approach by the author in the book’s first edition, which was released in 1996, makes it accessible to a wide spectrum of readers, from beginners to expert students. The first edition of the book became one of the most widely used C programming textbooks for more than ten years as it was chosen by numerous educational institutions all over the world as their main C programming manual.
To use the standard C library, C programmers need the knowledge in this book. From beginning to experienced students, everything in this book is so simply stated that it is easy to understand. The book has been updated and revised, and there are also additional exercises and extended programming projects.
6. Data Structures Using C
Author: Reema Thareja
This book was created to offer thorough and consistent coverage of both the abstract ideas behind data structures and how to put those ideas into practice using the C programming language.
Before discussing various data structures and methods for determining the difficulty of different algorithms, it begins by providing a full overview of the C programming concepts. The study of diverse data structures, including arrays, strings, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, heaps, and graphs, is done by connecting these ideas.
The book takes a methodical approach, starting with the design of each data structure, then moving on to algorithms for the many operations that may be carried out on them and analyzing these algorithms in terms of their running times. To assist readers to assess their understanding, each chapter offers a variety of end-chapter tasks, including programming challenges, review questions, and multiple-choice questions (MCQs) with answers.
7. Low-Level Programming: C, Assembly, and Program Execution
Author: Igor Zhirkov
It’s time to get this book if you wish to master Intel 64 architecture. The book can teach you the fundamentals of both the assembly language and the most recent version of the C programming language. Additionally, this book covers the complete journey from program execution to source code. What else can you expect to find in this book? These include exercises, ELF object files, static and dynamic linking, and many coding examples. Even performance-gain strategies like pre-fetching and SSE instructions are attainable.
In addition to all of these, you will learn about important computer science subjects including formal grammar and computation models.
8. C in a Nutshell: The Definitive Reference
Author: Peter Prinz
The book is intended for seasoned programmers. It is a modern C reference book that covers the fundamentals of creating executable programs from C source code and GNU. This book also teaches how to test a debugging program using the GNU debugger.
In the first of this book’s three sections, important language components like points, characters, sentences, and memory management are covered. Through the book’s second portion, you can learn about the C standard library. Basic C programming tools are covered in the book’s third and final section.
9. Computer Fundamentals and Programming in C
Author: Reema Thareja
The book’s main goal is to teach readers how to code in C and the fundamentals of computer science. It also seeks to educate readers on the fundamentals of C programming, including how to construct programs, data types, control structures, functions, input-output, loops, functions, arrays, strings, pointers, and data structures.
The concepts and accompanying code examples in the book are meant to be simple enough for novices to understand. In order to clarify difficult concepts, it also makes extensive use of actual programming examples.
It is ideal for complete beginners because it makes no assumptions about past programming experience. The book is organized into 22 chapters, with multiple sub-chapters within each chapter. The book starts off by going through the fundamentals of C programming, such as data types and control structures.
10. Hands-on Network Programming with C
Author: Lewis Van Winkle
With a careful explanation of socket programming APIs, network programming—a difficult concept in C—is made simple to understand. With the help of this book, you may get started with modern C network programming and the appropriate use of pertinent operating system APIs.
This book addresses fundamental ideas that are essential to the operation of the contemporary web, such as hostname resolution with DNS. You’ll delve into TCP and UDP, the two most important network protocols. With the use of real-world examples, fundamental networking concepts for client-server and peer-to-peer architectures are introduced.
Additionally, you’ll learn about HTTP and HTTPS, the protocols that create web pages, from both the client and server sides. You’ll use the ideas taught in this book to acquire insight into web programming for IoT, allowing you to stay on top of current trends. Even network monitoring and employing security best practices will become second nature to you.
By the time you finish reading this book, you’ll have worked with client-server applications and be able to develop new network programs in C.
11. Expert C Programming: Deep Secrets
Author: Peter Van Der Linden
From the viewpoint of an experienced programmer, this book teaches the C programming language. Van Der Linden delves deeply into the most complex areas of the C programming language in this book, drawing on his years of experience in the field. The book is organized into two halves, with the first section concentrating on the C programming language and its environment and the second section concentrating on creating dependable, upkeep-free, and high-performance programs.
It offers an exhaustive introduction to the C programming language, making it appropriate for total beginners. This book is a wonderful choice for people wishing to learn C programming because the author drew on his vast experience to write it.
Conclusion
The intriguing field of programming can enable you to create the website or application of your dreams. But it may also be challenging, especially if you’re just getting started. Reading books is one of the finest ways to learn to program. You can develop a solid foundation in a programming language and gain a deeper grasp of the subjects you’re learning by reading books.
If you don’t know which C book is best for you, you could become lost in the sea of them. There are many C books available that are great at explaining the essentials, but some publications take a more thorough approach to educating.
The top C books are given above for both new and seasoned developers. Now that you are aware of the top C books, you may improve your C learning.
Hi! I am Shekhar, a professional web & mobile app developer with expertise in MEAN Stack, Next.js, React.js, and React Native. Being interested in working with different IT technologies, I always look forward to learning something new and challenging. Along with JavaScript, I also know several other programming languages, including Python and TypeScript.