Good starting point, but then...

I'm not a programmer or "coder", but I do know the basic ideas behind programming. That aside, my attention tends to wander when learning new things, and sometimes a little light entertainment can go a long way. When I wanted to learn to use the C programming language and thought I'd give the "Dummies" offering a try.

Here's the things that it covers well:
Where to get a decent (and free) C compiler.
The program's basic structure and syntax.
Putting text on a standard text screen. (Think DOS or CLI)
Getting input from the keyboard.
Introducing you to the basic variable types.
Doing some basic math with numeric variables.
Doing program branching with numeric variables.
Doing program branching with single character variables.
Looping.

Now for the bad news...
Do not expect to be able to learn any of the following:
Read or write to the file system.
Concatenate or otherwise manipulate string variables.
Perform program branching using string variables.
Gain a proficient understanding to write anything that is actually useful.
Access any other system hardware or software such as the mouse, the internet, graphics, other running programs, etc...

There was one aspect I felt was very annoying. About halfway through the book, the author starts to plug his other book, "C All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies" for information that he isn't going to cover in this book, and it gets more and more intrusive as the humor winds down, and the book drones on. Of course if you're willing to be seen reading a book marketed towards "dummies" you can probably expect to be played as one too.

All in all, I do feel this book has merit and makes for a good starting point. It has immensely helped me to understand the C programming language, and I can comprehend the basic ideas. It was worth the time and money even though I was expecting to achieve more practical results before I started.

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