Science and Art of C Language

Author: (USA) Roberts (Roberts/E.S) / Wang Huiyu et al
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: This book is a classic textbook in computer science, emphasizing software engineering and excellent programming style. Additionally, students can learn the basics of ANSI C from the book, which has become the standard in the computer industry. The author's writing style makes complex concepts easy to understand and engaging. The book focuses on the use of libraries and abstraction, which are fundamental knowledge in modern programming techniques. The author uses libraries to hide the complexity of C, highlighting the main topics and enabling students to grasp the essence of each subject. Furthermore, the book provides the underlying implementation of each library, effectively demonstrating the power of abstraction. Starting from the basics, this book serves as an introductory textbook for C. It has been successfully adopted by universities and colleges in the United States, such as Stanford University and Columbia University, and has also been adopted by Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, making it an excellent textbook suitable for computer and related majors in higher education.
Preface to the Translation
With the rapid development of the computer industry, the demand for computer professionals has become increasingly urgent. Programming is the fundamental knowledge and skill for all computer professionals. As the saying goes, "Everything starts with difficulty." How to guide students smoothly into the world of programming and help them become familiar with and master it is also a challenge in computer education. This book is a classic textbook in computer science, a summary of the author's 20 experience in computer teaching, providing rich foundational knowledge in computer science and specialized knowledge in programming. The book has distinct features. First, it uses ANSI C as the teaching language. C is currently the most widely used teaching language, and choosing C allows students to quickly enter the workforce after graduation and lays the foundation for learning C and object-oriented languages. Second, it adopts a library-based approach, emphasizing the principle of abstraction. The book provides a detailed introduction to libraries and modular development, explaining how libraries can hide the complexity of programs, which are fundamental concepts in modern programming. Third, the most important aspect of programming is transitioning from problem statement to problem-solving. The book explains this process in an easy-to-understand manner, making programming a relaxed and enjoyable learning experience. Programming is both a science and an art. Learning good programming requires mastering a lot of knowledge, not just memorizing a set of rules. It must be learned through practice and by reading other programs. The book includes numerous program examples that demonstrate how to build a complete program using C statements and how to develop good programming style. Each chapter concludes with a wealth of review questions to summarize key points and includes numerous programming exercises for readers to practice more projects. It is precisely because of the above advantages that we believe translating this book into Chinese will benefit more students, helping them build a solid foundation in programming.
The translation work for this book was carried out by Wang Huiyu, Zhang Dongmo, Yang Xin, and Jiang Wenxin, with Wang Huiyu reviewing and editing the entire book. This book is also the textbook selected for the "Programming" course at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The translation process received great help from over ten teachers in the course team, for which we express our heartfelt gratitude. Due to time and skill limitations, there may be errors or omissions in the book, and we sincerely ask readers to point them out.
Translator, August 2004
This book is a classic textbook in computer science, introducing foundational knowledge in computer science and specialized knowledge in programming. The book takes ANSI C as its main focus, covering not only the basic knowledge of C but also software engineering techniques and how to apply good programming style for development. The book adopts a library-based approach, emphasizing the principle of abstraction, and provides a detailed explanation of libraries and modular development. Additionally, the book uses numerous examples to illustrate the entire process of problem-solving and offers solutions and avoidance methods for common errors in the development process. This book can serve as a textbook for introductory computer science and C language courses in higher education and is also an excellent reference for C language developers.