Best C Programming Book for Beginners

For a beginner in programming it can be little bit difficult to choose the best C books to start learning of C programming journey. Selecting a good source/book is very important part of learning. To make it little bit simpler, here are some best C books for beginners. These books are highly recommended for those who do not have very basic knowledge of programming or no knowledge at all.

1. Let Us C by Yashavant Kanetkar


For C language programmers, it is must to master the complexity of the language to deal with programming software in engineering, gaming and other fields. In order to understand each concept of the C language, it is necessary to follow a good reference book in easy-to-understand text.

Keeping simplicity in mind, Yashavant P Kanetkar, the author of the book, has compiled it to be one of the most interesting C programming books for C language learners. The book begins with the basic knowledge of different concepts and further leads to advanced levels. This means the book will provide complete knowledge to the readers from basic to complex programming parts.

It covers various topics that could be easily understood with the help of examples given with each programming concept. Besides, the book also features several descriptive details about console input, C preprocessor, arrays, functions, strings and pointers. Explained in comprehensive manner, the book aims to provide more brief information to all C programming beginners as well as established programmers.

Let Us C can help the readers to prepare not only for the theoretical exams but for the practical exams as well. There is also a separate section in the book that includes most frequently asked questions in job interviews. Hence, it can be a good reference manual for preparing job interviews as well.

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2. Let Us C Solutions by Yashavant Kanetkar

Let Us C Solutions is a supplement to the book Let Us C. This contains the solutions to all the problems provided in Let Us C. There are a lot of people who are interested in learning the C language, academically or professionally. Either way, this book is an excellent guide for all the aspirants.

Let Us C Solutions begins with an introduction, after which it delves into the topics of Decision Control Structure, Loop And Case Control Structure, Functions, Pointers, Decision Controls, Arrays, Strings, and Data Types. Other chapters like Structures, Operation On Bits, Graphics, The C Preprocessor, Console And File Input/Output, and C Under Linux are also covered in depth.

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3. Data Structure Through C by Yashavant Kanetkar

Data Structure Through C is a book that can be used as a guide to understand the basic principles of data structures. It adopts a novel approach, by using the programming language C to teach data structures.

The book discusses concepts like arrays, algorithm analysis, strings, queues, trees and graphs. Well-designed animations related to these concepts are provided in the CD-ROM which accompanies the book. This enables the reader to get a better understanding of the complex procedures described in the book through a visual demonstration of the same. The book contains example programs that elucidate the concepts. It comes with a CD that visually demonstrates the theory presented in the book.

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4. C in Depth by Deepali Srivastava and S. K. Srivastava

C in depth, the authors explain the basics of the programming language while maintaining the integrity and clarity of the programs. The book can be utilized by both beginners and advanced level programmers as a self-evaluation and learning source.

There are more than 310 programs with explanations to illustrate the concepts of programming and over 450 exercises to challenge the readers in programming. These exercises are accompanied by solutions and hints where deemed necessary.

The book begins with an introduction to the language and explains the elements, input and output, and operator and expressions used in programming. Control statements, functions, arrays, pointers, strings and files are covered next in successive chapters. Every chapter has examples in the form of programming that are explained step-wise.

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5. Head First C

Head First C provides a complete learning experience for C and structured imperative programming. With a unique method that goes beyond syntax and how-to manuals, this guide not only teaches you the language, it helps you understand how to be a great programmer. You will learn key areas such as language basics, pointers and pointer arithmetic and dynamic memory management. Advanced topics include multi-threading and network programming topics typically covered on a college-level course.

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6. Programming with C by Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie

The book enumerates the concepts related to C Programming language, as prescribed by ANSI standard. The book elaborates on the basics of procedure oriented programming and the fundamentals of writing C codes. It goes on to cover aspects like functions and loops, learning which will help beginner programmers to code elementary level codes properly.

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7. C : The Complete Reference by Herbert Schildt

Another gem from Herbert Schildt, best-selling programming author with more than 2.5 million books sold. C : The Complete Reference, Fourth Edition gives you full details on C99, the New ANSI/ISO Standard for C. You'll get in-depth coverage of the C language and function libraries as well as all the newest C features, including restricted pointers, inline functions, variable-length arrays, and complex math. This jam-packed resource includes hundreds of examples and sample applications.

C : The Complete Reference by Herbert Schildt

8. Test Your C Skills by Yashavant P. Kanetkar

This book starts off by giving the readers a brief introduction to the C programming language, which is followed by rigorous testing of important concepts in C. Test Your C Skills follows a different approach to explaining theoretical concepts, unlike other books in the market. This book explains important concepts in the form of questions and answers. There are around 1000 questions present in this book, each delving on different concepts. Detailed solutions for the questions have been included, so that the readers can easily understand the concepts. This book is ideal for those preparing for interviews to gain entry into IT companies.

Test Your C Skills by Yashavant P. Kanetkar

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