4 ms·

Beej's Guide to C Programming [pdf]

113 points by krykp 2y ago

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
simonw 2y ago
This is a better link as it provides more formats, including ones that (unlike PDF) work well on mobile: https://beej.us/guide/bgc/ https://beej.us/guide/bgc/
- krykp 2y ago
  Now I am personally offended :) I kid, but I am a big fan of well formatted PDF documents. What problems would you say that trouble you in mobile? I understand the 'absolute' viewport is tiresome, but I tend to prefer the consistency at times.
jjice 2y ago
Beej is an incredible author. His networking guide is not only succinct and informative, it's also very funny. He's got a great writing style. There was a thread a month or two back showing off some more of his guides, including this one. Going to download some of these for a long flight coming up. Huge thank you to Beej for the incredibly high quality content at no cost. There's also a paperback of at least the network programming guide available to support (great gift to give to a junior engineer).
- zabzonk 2y ago
  All guides, all well worth reading: https://beej.us/guide/ https://beej.us/guide/
Amorymeltzer 2y ago
Previous discussions with notable engagement: - Feb 2023, 284pts, 64 comments: <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34946811 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34946811> - March 2023, 115pts, 37 comments: <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35338074 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35338074> - April 2021, 507pts, 172 comments: <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26911399 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26911399> - September 2017, 427pts, 79 comments: <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15198093 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15198093> Worth noting that there are changes on a regular basis: <https://github.com/beejjorgensen/bgc https://github.com/beejjorgensen/bgc>
davidw 2y ago
If you're ever in Bend, beej shows up at these events pretty regularly: https://www.meetup.com/deschutes-tech-guild/ https://www.meetup.com/deschutes-tech-guild/
- bradhe 2y ago
  Was absolutely crazy to me to learn he was from Bend. I grew up in Bend, and in the early 2000s when I was in HS, his guides were super important to me. It wasn't till a couple years ago that I learned he was from Bend!
sdsd 2y ago
I learned about beej when I started the Vortex wargame on OverTheWire (https://overthewire.org/wargames/vortex/vortex0.html https://overthewire.org/wargames/vortex/vortex0.html). I emailed him about an error in the part about loops, and he told me he'd fix it, but never did. Only years later when I got nostalgic and went to reread that part of his guide, did I realize there had never been a bug, I'd simply misunderstood the code, and he had humored me. I'm such a huge beej fan.
tempodox 2y ago
Beej's guides are great. As for C, you also need the mandatory companion guide: A Guide to Undefined Behavior in C and C++ (https://blog.regehr.org/archives/213 https://blog.regehr.org/archives/213).
throwme0827349 2y ago
I need to learn rust for work. Since beej doesn't seem to have a guide for rust, what's the next best thing? :)
- Narishma 2y ago
  What's wrong with the official book?
  - stonecharioteer 2y ago
    Unrelated and not OP but is your ID based on Wheel of Time?
    - Narishma 2y ago
      It is.
  - throwme0827349 2y ago
    Nothing except I didn't know about it. Thanks for the suggestion. :)
    - tonightstoast 2y ago
      Once you’re done with that Jon Gjengset‘s YouTube videos and book are great resources.
marginalia_nu 2y ago
Beej taught me half of what I know about network programming and unix sockets. The dude deserves a medal for the work he has done over the decades.
codr7 2y ago
Here's another guide to C, from a slightly different angle, that I've been working on for a while: https://github.com/codr7/hacktical-c https://github.com/codr7/hacktical-c
raldu 2y ago
Help me understand what is so “great” about a writing style that reads like a couple of tech bros cracking jokes next to a water cooler, please? That, “You” language spread all over the text to the point that I’ll almost take programming too personally! The only missing overabundance in the text is that of memes and emojis in it’s style. Is it oh-so-very “accessible?” Is it a “very conversational” style? Is it so-very “TLDR” over “RTFM?” Is it a late-night talk show? Is it the M&M’s of technical writing for distracted kids?

113 points by krykp 2y ago

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

This is a better link as it provides more formats, including ones that (unlike PDF) work well on mobile: https://beej.us/guide/bgc/ https://beej.us/guide/bgc/

krykp 2y ago
Now I am personally offended :) I kid, but I am a big fan of well formatted PDF documents. What problems would you say that trouble you in mobile? I understand the 'absolute' viewport is tiresome, but I tend to prefer the consistency at times.

jjice 2y ago

Beej is an incredible author. His networking guide is not only succinct and informative, it's also very funny. He's got a great writing style. There was a thread a month or two back showing off some more of his guides, including this one. Going to download some of these for a long flight coming up. Huge thank you to Beej for the incredibly high quality content at no cost. There's also a paperback of at least the network programming guide available to support (great gift to give to a junior engineer).

zabzonk 2y ago
All guides, all well worth reading: https://beej.us/guide/ https://beej.us/guide/

Amorymeltzer 2y ago

Previous discussions with notable engagement: - Feb 2023, 284pts, 64 comments: <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34946811 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34946811> - March 2023, 115pts, 37 comments: <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35338074 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35338074> - April 2021, 507pts, 172 comments: <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26911399 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26911399> - September 2017, 427pts, 79 comments: <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15198093 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15198093> Worth noting that there are changes on a regular basis: <https://github.com/beejjorgensen/bgc https://github.com/beejjorgensen/bgc>

davidw 2y ago

If you're ever in Bend, beej shows up at these events pretty regularly: https://www.meetup.com/deschutes-tech-guild/ https://www.meetup.com/deschutes-tech-guild/

bradhe 2y ago
Was absolutely crazy to me to learn he was from Bend. I grew up in Bend, and in the early 2000s when I was in HS, his guides were super important to me. It wasn't till a couple years ago that I learned he was from Bend!

sdsd 2y ago

I learned about beej when I started the Vortex wargame on OverTheWire (https://overthewire.org/wargames/vortex/vortex0.html https://overthewire.org/wargames/vortex/vortex0.html). I emailed him about an error in the part about loops, and he told me he'd fix it, but never did. Only years later when I got nostalgic and went to reread that part of his guide, did I realize there had never been a bug, I'd simply misunderstood the code, and he had humored me. I'm such a huge beej fan.

tempodox 2y ago

Beej's guides are great. As for C, you also need the mandatory companion guide: A Guide to Undefined Behavior in C and C++ (https://blog.regehr.org/archives/213 https://blog.regehr.org/archives/213).

throwme0827349 2y ago

I need to learn rust for work. Since beej doesn't seem to have a guide for rust, what's the next best thing? :)

Narishma 2y ago
What's wrong with the official book?
- stonecharioteer 2y ago
  Unrelated and not OP but is your ID based on Wheel of Time?
  - Narishma 2y ago
    It is.
- throwme0827349 2y ago
  Nothing except I didn't know about it. Thanks for the suggestion. :)
  - tonightstoast 2y ago
    Once you’re done with that Jon Gjengset‘s YouTube videos and book are great resources.

marginalia_nu 2y ago

Beej taught me half of what I know about network programming and unix sockets. The dude deserves a medal for the work he has done over the decades.

codr7 2y ago

Here's another guide to C, from a slightly different angle, that I've been working on for a while: https://github.com/codr7/hacktical-c https://github.com/codr7/hacktical-c

raldu 2y ago

Help me understand what is so “great” about a writing style that reads like a couple of tech bros cracking jokes next to a water cooler, please? That, “You” language spread all over the text to the point that I’ll almost take programming too personally! The only missing overabundance in the text is that of memes and emojis in it’s style. Is it oh-so-very “accessible?” Is it a “very conversational” style? Is it so-very “TLDR” over “RTFM?” Is it a late-night talk show? Is it the M&M’s of technical writing for distracted kids?