--- In [email protected], Srikanth M R <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Thanks for replying Nico...
> I have a few more questions to ask
<snip>
> Talking about C programming under Unix, I have always
> wondered how?
There's only one way: you have to work on it and with it.
Meaning:
- Either work for a company where you can do it,
- or do some projects yourself.
> Well, I'm not talking about the rudiments... I have
> always wondered what the "next step" is after learning
> to program in C(or C++ for that matter). I wont mind
> reading individual opinions on this ( I am telling
> this because I have frequently been a recipient of
> "Well, it depends on what you want to do")
> It is enough even if you tell me, what you did when
> you were at this stage(yes, I am asking for the
> personal experience)
I was lucky enough to find an employer who was happy having me as a
programmer who didn't fear working with C.
What have I done at that time?
I have written a complex system (some 4GL code, some shell scripts,
much C code) to exchange data between an Informix DBMS based
application and those half-inch magnetic tape drives which are still
in widespread use among mainframe users.
And I have written an interface for a banking software system running
under Unix to exchange data with a RPC based company which delivers
reliability data about potential loan takers.
<snip>
> I regret putting the question in a wrong way. All I
> meant was - in which order should I learn and not why
> does it take so long(or so little time) to learn?
> Anyway, your advice was useful.
You haven't necessarily put it the wrong way: it might well be that I
misunderstood you because I was thinking in some direction which you
did not intend me to go with my thoughts. We all have our personal
experiences and sometimes react in sort of a prejudiced manner to
certain kinds of questions.
My personal opinion about programming is:
- Start with BASIC.
- As soon as you encounter its drawbacks, switch to Pascal.
- Then go for C++ or, if you're sort of daring, pure ANSI C.
- Learn SQL and some 4GL programming language, such as
PL/SQL from Oracle or SQL/PL from IBM (the DB2 language).
- Don't forget to read the very basic books that are still
valid in my opinion:
a) The Art Of Computer Programming by Donald Knuth.
b) Algorithms in C/Pascal by Robert Sedgewick.
c) Algorithms And Data Structures by Niklaus Wirth.
d) for C: The ANSI C Programming Language by
Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie.
e) for C++: the list at http://www.rudbek.com/books
(thanks to Victor for this list).
f) for Java: Core Java 2 by Cay Horstmann and Gary Cornell,
then the book by Michael Morgan (don't recall the title).
Regards,
Nico
