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macOS Need Help learning C...

prmccarron

prmccarron

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 7, 2009
134
0
Hi,
I'm interested in programming on the Mac and iPhone so I wanted to learn Objective-C. However, I found this too difficult, so I went with popular recommendation and I'm trying to learn C now. I'm doing pretty well, but there are still some things that are making me trip, and I was wondering if there's anyone out there that'd be willing to help. Not tutor me, but just give me a little help when I have some problems or get confused. Would be super grateful. I'd prefer to talk via email or IRC, although I'm flexible and would be willing to use something else, as I am, admittedly, desperate.
Thanks SO much to anyone who'd like to help.
PS - Please, don't reply with stupid/rude/trollerific responses like "Learn it yourself" or "Sure, I'll go out of my way to help a person I don't even know just for the heck of it." I appreciate people willing to help, not sarcastic or rude remarks. Thanks.

***EDIT***
Just for a little more background, I'd started reading "Programming in C" by Stephen Kochan and got about to chapter 9. Then I started reading "Learn C on the Mac" by Dave Mark. Now I'm starting good ol' K&R, because I've heard it's great.
 
I would be inclined to recommend just posting. We're a helpful lot, and having it public means it can benefit others.

-Lee
 
The Kochan is an excellent text. What is it about chapter nine that felt difficult to the point of motivating you to try another author?

It's difficult stuff. Don't worry if you have to read or re-read the same chapter multiple times (especially when you come to pointers).
 
North Bronson said:
The Kochan is an excellent text. What is it about chapter nine that felt difficult to the point of motivating you to try another author?

It's difficult stuff. Don't worry if you have to read or re-read the same chapter multiple times (especially when you come to pointers).
Click to expand...

The reason I stopped reading Steven Kochan's book is because it had a lot of math terms and expressions that were above me (I'm only in eighth grade haha) so I went to Learn C on the Mac. I also started reading K&R because I heard it's excellent, but I'm still mostly sticking with Dave Mark's book.
 
prmccarron said:
The reason I stopped reading Steven Kochan's book is because it had a lot of math terms and expressions that were above me (I'm only in eighth grade haha) so I went to Learn C on the Mac. I also started reading K&R because I heard it's excellent, but I'm still mostly sticking with Dave Mark's book.
Click to expand...

Well I applaud you for your effort to learn something like that in 8th grade. I know thats definitely not what I was doing haha.
 
You sound just like me, but I have have been out of 8th grade for about 30 years now :) I also got stuck on the same Objective - C book and took a step back to the same book you are learning from now. Don't be afraid to write little programs in C so you get the hang of it as you go through each chapter. Towards the end it can get a little tougher but still doable.

After that book there was another book also by apress called "Objective - C for absolute beginners". It's in it's first prints with lots of typos but still a good step to ease into Objective - C.

Keep working at it and post problems here. People are great at answering questions as long as you don't say "Someone write this code for me".
 
touchdownjesus4 said:
Well I applaud you for your effort to learn something like that in 8th grade. I know thats definitely not what I was doing haha.
Click to expand...

Haha thanks, yeah it's just something I'm really interested in and would find amazing to have a job doing. Working at Apple or Google would be AMAZING to me lol.
 
prmccarron said:
The reason I stopped reading Steven Kochan's book is because it had a lot of math terms and expressions that were above me (I'm only in eighth grade haha) so I went to Learn C on the Mac. I also started reading K&R because I heard it's excellent, but I'm still mostly sticking with Dave Mark's book.
Click to expand...

You're gonna have to learn those math terms eventually. ;)
 
larswik said:
You sound just like me, but I have have been out of 8th grade for about 30 years now :) I also got stuck on the same Objective - C book and took a step back to the same book you are learning from now. Don't be afraid to write little programs in C so you get the hang of it as you go through each chapter. Towards the end it can get a little tougher but still doable.

After that book there was another book also by apress called "Objective - C for absolute beginners". It's in it's first prints with lots of typos but still a good step to ease into Objective - C.

Keep working at it and post problems here. People are great at answering questions as long as you don't say "Someone write this code for me".
Click to expand...

Haha actually I'm learning C first /because/ I got stuck on Kochan's Objective-C book. Yeah, I enjoy writing little things like temperature conversions or a calculator just to keep myself into it and practice. Once I learn C I plan on using "Programming in Objective-C" and "Learn Objective-C on the Mac" to learn that. After that, on my list are Java, C++, Ruby, AppleScript, C#, Perl and a few others, mostly C-based.

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MorphingDragon said:
You're gonna have to learn those math terms eventually. ;)
Click to expand...
Yeah, but if I can wait I will. C isn't ALL math haha
 
Ha... I start my Java class at City College on Wednesday. Summer I spent learning Objective - C. Last semester it was Pascal so I could get a better grasp on writing code and communicating with people. Last year this time I was reading the same C book you are and before that getting lost in Kochan's book.

There must have been a 9th grader in my city college class learning programming. City College is a great place to learn and they have evening classes. Food for thought.
 
It sounds like you're doing the right things. Programming is hard--especially so when you haven't learned some of the math concepts yet. One resource that I found especially helpful when I was trying to learn heap vs. stack memory was the memory chapter from the Masters of the Void tutorial. The explanations are animated, and helped the concepts really sink in for me.
 
larswik said:
Ha... I start my Java class at City College on Wednesday. Summer I spent learning Objective - C. Last semester it was Pascal so I could get a better grasp on writing code and communicating with people. Last year this time I was reading the same C book you are and before that getting lost in Kochan's book.

There must have been a 9th grader in my city college class learning programming. City College is a great place to learn and they have evening classes. Food for thought.
Click to expand...

I have heavily considered this and plan on doing so next summer, and possibly during the school year as a junior/senior.

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GorillaPaws said:
It sounds like you're doing the right things. Programming is hard--especially so when you haven't learned some of the math concepts yet. One resource that I found especially helpful when I was trying to learn heap vs. stack memory was the memory chapter from the Masters of the Void tutorial. The explanations are animated, and helped the concepts really sink in for me.
Click to expand...

Cool, I'll be sure to check it out, thanks!
 
K&R for C is what I used; very nice at that time; around 28 years ago

Later C++ I read the book from Bjarne Stroustrup; around 25 years ago

Objective C with a book written in German from Amin NegmAwad, around 2yers ago
 
(marc) said:
How do C and maths intersect? (Unless you mean ℂ ;))
Click to expand...

Ha, nice.

I mean generally, programming arithmetic is a lot like algebra. It pays to know stuff like operator precedence and general arithmetic practice.

If you mean something in specific, if you get into, say, game development, you have a lot more concepts involved, such as coordinate geometry, vectors, trig, matrices (usually if it's 3D) and physics calcs often containing differentiation and integration.

Edit - I should note - I know a lot of the concepts listed there aren't particular specific to the OP, but they are relevant in my advice of "don't be afraid of maths".
 
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