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- Path: anvil.ugrad.cs.ubc.ca!not-for-mail
- From: c2a192@ugrad.cs.ubc.ca (Kazimir Kylheku)
- Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
- Subject: Re: H&S4 errata?
- Date: 24 Mar 1996 15:23:12 -0800
- Organization: Computer Science, University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C., Canada
- Message-ID: <4j4lh0INNgf9@anvil.ugrad.cs.ubc.ca>
- References: <mjs.827166006@hubcap> <4is2p9INNgag@keats.ugrad.cs.ubc.ca> <3152CFAB.32FF@oc.com>
- NNTP-Posting-Host: anvil.ugrad.cs.ubc.ca
-
- In article <3152CFAB.32FF@oc.com>, Larry Weiss <lfw@oc.com> wrote:
- >Kazimir Kylheku wrote:
- > >
- > > In article <mjs.827166006@hubcap>,
- > > M. J. Saltzman <mjs@hubcap.clemson.edu> wrote:
- > > >Does anyone know if there is an errata list available somewhere for
- > > >Harbison and Steele's _C: A Reference Manual_, Fourth Edition?
- > >
- > > What for? The ANSI/ISO standard is the reference manual for C. Anything in
- > > another publication which contradicts it is an error.
- > > --
- >
- >Kazimir, where did that remark come from?
- >
- >It seems unrelated to the question.
- >
- >What cognitive process occurred that triggered your two truisms?
-
- The following: if you want a definitive reference on the C language, read the
- Standard. Failing that, the K&R2 (event this contains some well-known flaws,
- but is otherwise faithful). These are de-facto ``reference manuals'' for C.
-
- There are too many other fledgling books out there about the C language;
- looking for errata for every book about C is basically a waste of time.
-
- Suppose I need to know something about some aspect of C. I have a choice: look
- it up in the standard, or look it up in some which I suspect of containing
- errors, and for which there may or may not be a errata list somewhere.
-
- Which one should I pick?
-
- Now the FAQ for this newsgroup does mention Harbison and Steele as being a
- great reference manual, which I don't doubt:
-
- A: There are far too many books on C to list here; it's impossible
- to rate them all. Many people believe that the best one was
- also the first: _The C Programming Language_, by Kernighan and
- Ritchie ("K&R," now in its second edition). Opinions vary on
- K&R's suitability as an initial programming text: many of us did
- learn C from it, and learned it well; some, however, feel that
- it is a bit too clinical as a first tutorial for those without
- much programming background.
-
- An excellent reference manual is _C: A Reference Manual_, by
- Samuel P. Harbison and Guy L. Steele, now in its fourth edition.
-
- Nevertheless, even if there is an errata list, who says that it is 100%
- complete? Instead of hunting around for an errata list, it's simpler, after
- looking up some suspicious reference in H&S, to verify it against the K&R and
- the standard.
- --
-
-