Best Books for C Programming – Top Options for Serious Programmers

C is a programming language for computer developed in 1972 by Dennis Ritchie. C provides the benefit of cross-platform programming and is a good substitute for the old assembly language coding program, which was a pretty complex one. It has a static type structure that prevents any unintended operations.

Many languages that are used in various fields today own their foundation to C language which serves as the base for all of them.

One of the very strong reasons why C programming language is so popular and used so widely is the flexibility of its use for memory management.

This feature makes it an efficient language because system level resources, such as memory, can be accessed easily. C is a good choice and perhaps one of the most widely used computer languages meant for system-level programming.

Some of the deep level learnings in C programming courses include standard library, command lines, return values, class templates and function templates, function pointers, multidimensional arrays, pointer arithmetic, function parameters, switch statements, header files, null, operator overloading, bitwise operations, return 0, C-style strings and C data types, function overloading, multithreading, type conversions, Boolean algorithms, data members, copy constructor, friend function, exception handling, stdio.h, embedded systems, swift and objective-c, c compilers, and GNU Compiler Collection (GCC).

C is generally described as a high-level assembler, rather than a low-level language.

The first C compiler wasn't written in C, usually, when writing a compiler we use either assembly language or another programming language, and it's common that after first compilation, the compiler is rewritten in its native language. Programming in C is quite easy as it uses English language for the commands.

Learning this programming language is hugely beneficial because of its use in a bunch of most important applications around the world.

A version of this language, known as C++, is used in operating systems, games, embedded software and autonomous systems as well as medical technologies. Thus having a profound knowledge in C can help to explore for more career opportunities.

Nowadays, from a primitive stage in school, the syllabus is specially designed to provide basic computing knowledge to the students so that they go to college with a strong base. But a programming language is quite different from the other general and comparatively easy computer topics.

Apart from looking for suitable institutions or teachers to coach you for your programming proficiency, you will have to find a book that will suit your requirements.

C is a procedural programming language and C++ is a combination of both procedural and object-oriented programming language.

C++ has object-oriented programming features include the ability to define classes and functions and is used as the source code in many popular software applications.

Here is a list of the best C programming books available in the market, both from Indian as well as foreign authors-

• The C Programming Language written by Dennis Ritchie and Brian W. Kernighan: This book can be said as the Holy Book of C programming, written by the Godfather of C language himself. This book is for all C programmers and is widely accepted as one of the best books to learn this programming language. Besides comprising of ample theory to demonstrate C programming, this book also has challenging exercises that will do test your skills in C. In spite of coming out nearly a decade ago, this book never ceased to be popular for programming language learners. The second edition of the book was improved with later versions of the programming language, namely ANSI C. But you need to have at least some fundamental knowledge before you begin with this book.It has brief explanations of operators, expressions, control flow, and functions. The new edition of the book was also improvised with newer examples to stimulate the learning mechanism. Here is the link for you to check it out.

• Let us C by Yashavant Kanetkar: This book is appropriate for learning the basic concepts of C. The book has been written in simple and understandable language by the author. Like the education system where you learn the alphabets of a language first, this book reflects on the basic steps that would help you in learning C programming efficiently. After getting the basic conceptual knowledge, the book will take you to advanced levels. Thus the book will provide complete knowledge about C language. Also, it covers various topics on the subject. The book has descriptive details about C pre-processors, arrays, functions, strings and pointers. The comprehensive manner in which the various chapters are composed also help pupils in job interviews. The book has a separate section of multiple choice questions to specially assist for job preparations.You can buy this book from here.

• C: The complete reference by Herbert Schildt: This book is currently one of the bestsellers amongst the book for programming languages. It has been recently published for the fourth edition and is upgraded with context about the latest versions of C, namely the ANSI C or ISO standard for C. The various features in the book vary from in-depth coverage of functional libraries in C, restricted pointers, inline functions, variable-length arrays, and complex math. Hundreds of examples and sample applications make the chapters in the book more understandable. This book is now available here.

• Programming in ANSI C by E. Balaguruswamy: This book is quite good for learning all the basic concepts of C. It is one of the best and most popular C programming book in India. In many contexts, there are supposed to be some topics that will definitely go over your head. But in this book, suitable examples are provided so that you can understand those topics. Recently, the seventh edition of this book came out with outcome-based learning approach. The new edition comprises of some new and important added topics as well. One such topic is “Graphic Programming using C”. This is a new topic in the market and is proving worthy for the continuously developing digital world. Here is the link to buy the book.

• Head first C by David Griffiths: This book provides structured imperative programming and experience for C language. The details in this book have the potential to turn you into a great programmer, of course with proper guidance.This book can provide you a good opportunity to learn basics as well as advanced topics in a very easy manner.They are provided in such a manner with examples that you will be able to build up an illustrative solution to the question within your mind.Here is the link for you to buy it.

• 21^st Century C by Ben Kiemens: If you are searching for a book that will provide you all the latest upgrades of the programming language, then this book is just the perfect one. In a few words, from this book, you will come to know about a programming language that has outgrown its original concepts. The book includes materials on concurrent threads, C99 numeric types and many other features. This book will definitely set up a C programming environment that will explain useful C concepts, use of modern and latest features for programming and will also help you in evaluating yourself through the exercises. Currently, the second edition of the book has been published after carefully revisiting the scope of the syllabus. Here is the link to buy this book.

• C Pocket Reference By O’Reilly: This is basically a pocket reference guide to C programming language. This is a must-have for every C programmer. The C pocket reference is available in two parts, one of them is a common description of the C language while the other is a thematically structured reference to the standard library. This book is especially beneficial for people who are learning C programming as a career option. The portability ensures that while implementing any of the programs that you have learned, in a system, you can quickly refer to any doubtful ideas from the book. If you check this book online, then you will see that it has got good reviews. You can buy this book from this link.

• Expert C Programming by Peter Van Der Linden: This book can be considered as a secondary book for people learning C programming. It has some tips and tricks that will definitely help you to become more comfortable in coding. But you should not start out with this book at first. Going through this book requires some basic knowledge about programming in C. After completing the basics in C programming, this book can also be helpful in case of removal of any doubts from your mind. This book will help the C programmer reach new heights as a professional. Here goes the link for buying the book from Amazon.

• C-How to Program by Paul and Harvey Deitel: This book has a comprehensive structure to introduce an individual to C. It has all the details that can be helpful for a college student to begin with. It gives you details on software development as well. This book is a great resource for learning how to program in the language of C. C is a fundamental structural program that many new programmers start with, so this book provides an excellent foundation for learning. The interface designed for the book is very easy to go through and does not require any extra efforts. Written in easy and comprehensive English, the context is also easy to understand. In case you want to check out the price before buying the book, here is the link.

• Learn C The Hard Way By Zed A. Shaw: The name of this book does not implement any tough context or chapters inside. In this book, you will learn C through a number of brilliantly crafted exercises. Learn C the hard way is a great book and resource if you want to learn to program in C. Not only do you have the book, but there are links to companion videos on the website of the book that is very helpful. This is a perfect book if you want to brush up on your programming in C skills or want to learn it for the first time. It is written in a way anyone can understand. The competitive exercises make the way of learning more enjoyable and easy while learning. The book also focuses on learning the important keywords that you need for progressing while learning a coding language. You can get this book from here.

• Absolute beginner’s guide to C by Greg Perry: This book has been composed with a single approach i.e to solidify the base of programming concepts for beginners. The book describes everything about how to get started learning C programming with easy-to-understand exercises. Guide to C uses special icons, clues, notes, and warnings to make understanding the concept of C programming easier. Loops, structures, functions, class, and arrays come gradually after you get the basic concepts of the language. This book has been updated and answers nearly every question you may have about the C language as for which it is one of the best-sellers in computer programming reference and talks to the readers at their level. You can buy the book from here.

• Programming in Objective C written by Stephen G. Kochan: This book does not demand any pre-existing knowledge from the readers. It will start right from the basics. This book concisely explains the best practices for programming for iOS and OS X with Objective C. This book does not assume that the reader has any previous knowledge of any object-oriented programming language. This makes it one of the most accessible volumes on the topic of Objective C. Readers can learn basic concepts of object-oriented programming without learning all the required intricacies of basic C programming language. This learning guide is a perfect blend of several small coding and programming examples and contains academic exercises at the end of chapters. We recommend this book as an entry point for Objective C and as a way to transition from beginning coding into the Swift programming language which is a version of Objective C.You can buy this book from here.

• Algorithms in C by Robert Sedgewick: Algorithms are used in C program to simplify and construct solutions against complex features. Professor Sedgewick is a noted authority on searching and sorting algorithms. The text in the book is authoritative, lucid, and detailed. The coding has been noted very carefully in the book with fine details in between. Surely, this book can aid a lot to master the art of coding. But before buying this book, you have to know that it contains algorithmic structure related to programming languages and not basics of the language. Here is the link to buy this book.

• The C Puzzle book by Alan Feuer: This is one of the most popular books for this coding language. It teaches intermediate C programming with an effective and unique method -- and it is fun! Working through formidable puzzles and checking your results fine tunes your skills for future programming challenges. This book is a great next step for any programmer who desires a deeper understanding of the C programming language. A variety of C program puzzles challenges you to follow the puzzle through to determine the outcome. In many cases the programs are print statements, so the puzzle solution is the resulting printout. Once you have determined the puzzle solution, you may compare it with a detailed, step-by-step derivation offered in the book. Here is the link to check out the price before buying the book.

Conclusion

You can tally the price before buying the best C programming book that will suit your requirement, from any of the online sites offering good service.

It's easy to learn C. Start with hello world and work your way through a book. C is actually a pretty small language, not all that much to learn.

C is the basis of all programming languages. It's better to start learning it because it's easy and simple to understand for beginners. You don't need to learn a lot of programming languages.

You just need to learn one language completely because the logic is important and a language is just a mere tool for implementing.

Future-proof code (as long as current operating systems will be used) is written in C. The portability of C is best demonstrated by the fact that both C++ and Python are part of the C-family of programming languages which also include Julia, Java, Perl, and many other languages.

Thus every programmer has to start with C. Learning the new languages would become extremely easy after mastering C language.

Thus you will have to research and select well on the way you learn if you are looking forward to building a career in coding.

You do have to focus well on learning the best possible way you can so that there is no fault or gap in what you know. You do have to stay ready with answers to the questions that you will face in the interview.