book

C in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition

by Peter Prinz, Tony Crawford

December 2015

Intermediate to advanced

821 pages

21h 18m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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Preface
How This Book Is OrganizedPart IPart IIPart IIIFurther ReadingConventions Used in This BookUsing Code ExamplesSafari® Books OnlineHow to Contact UsAcknowledgmentsPeterTony
I. Language
1. Language Basics
Characteristics of CThe Structure of C ProgramsSource FilesCommentsCharacter SetsWide Characters and Multibyte CharactersUniversal Character NamesDigraphs and TrigraphsIdentifiersIdentifier Name SpacesIdentifier ScopeHow the C Compiler WorksThe C Compiler’s Translation PhasesTokens
2. Types
TypologyInteger TypesInteger Types Defined in Standard HeadersFloating-Point TypesComplex Floating-Point TypesEnumerated TypesThe Type voidvoid in Function DeclarationsExpressions of Type voidPointers to voidThe Alignment of Objects in Memory
3. Literals
Integer ConstantsFloating-Point ConstantsDecimal Floating-Point ConstantsHexadecimal Floating-Point ConstantsCharacter ConstantsTypes and Values of Character ConstantsEscape SequencesString Literals
4. Type Conversions
Conversion of Arithmetic TypesHierarchy of TypesInteger PromotionUsual Arithmetic ConversionsOther Implicit Type ConversionsThe Results of Arithmetic Type ConversionsConversion of Nonarithmetic TypesArray and Function DesignatorsExplicit Pointer ConversionsImplicit Pointer ConversionsConversions Between Pointer and Integer Types
5. Expressions and Operators
How Expressions Are EvaluatedGeneric Selections (C11)LvaluesSide Effects and Sequence PointsOperator Precedence and AssociativityOperators in DetailArithmetic OperatorsAssignment OperatorsIncrement and Decrement OperatorsComparative OperatorsLogical OperatorsBitwise OperatorsMemory Addressing OperatorsOther OperatorsConstant ExpressionsInteger Constant ExpressionsOther Constant Expressions
6. Statements
Expression StatementsBlock StatementsLoopswhile Statementsfor Statementsdo…while StatementsNested LoopsSelection Statementsif Statementsswitch StatementsUnconditional JumpsThe break StatementThe continue StatementThe goto StatementThe return Statement
7. Functions
Function DefinitionsFunctions and Storage Class SpecifiersK&R-Style Function DefinitionsFunction ParametersArrays as Function ParametersThe main() FunctionFunction DeclarationsDeclaring Optional ParametersDeclaring Variable-Length Array ParametersHow Functions Are ExecutedPointers as Arguments and Return ValuesInline FunctionsNon-Returning FunctionsRecursive FunctionsVariable Numbers of Arguments
8. Arrays
Defining ArraysFixed-Length ArraysVariable-Length ArraysAccessing Array ElementsInitializing ArraysWriting Initialization ListsInitializing Specific ElementsStringsMultidimensional ArraysMatricesDeclaring Multidimensional ArraysInitializing Multidimensional ArraysArrays as Arguments of Functions

9. Pointers
Declaring PointersNull Pointersvoid PointersInitializing PointersOperations with PointersUsing Pointers to Read and Modify ObjectsModifying and Comparing PointersPointers and Type QualifiersConstant Pointers and Pointers to Constant ObjectsRestricted PointersPointers to Arrays and Arrays of PointersArray PointersPointer ArraysPointers to Functions
10. Structures, Unions, and Bit-Fields
StructuresDefining Structure TypesStructure Objects and typedef NamesIncomplete Structure TypesAccessing Structure MembersInitializing StructuresInitializing Specific MembersStructure Members in MemoryFlexible Structure MembersPointers as Structure MembersUnionsDefining Union TypesInitializing UnionsAnonymous Structures and UnionsBit-Fields
11. Declarations
Object and Function DeclarationsExamplesStorage Class SpecifiersType QualifiersDeclarations and DefinitionsComplex DeclaratorsType Namestypedef Declarations_Static_assert DeclarationsLinkage of IdentifiersExternal LinkageInternal LinkageNo LinkageStorage Duration of ObjectsStatic Storage DurationThread Storage DurationAutomatic Storage DurationInitializationImplicit InitializationExplicit Initialization
12. Dynamic Memory Management
Allocating Memory DynamicallyCharacteristics of Allocated MemoryResizing and Releasing MemoryAn All-Purpose Binary TreeCharacteristicsImplementationGenerating an Empty TreeInserting New DataFinding Data in the TreeRemoving Data from the TreeTraversing a TreeA Sample Application
13. Input and Output
StreamsText StreamsBinary StreamsFilesFile PositionBuffersThe Standard StreamsOpening and Closing FilesOpening a FileAccess ModesClosing a FileReading and WritingByte-Oriented and Wide-Oriented StreamsError HandlingUnformatted I/OFormatted OutputFormatted InputRandom File AccessObtaining the Current File PositionSetting the File Access Position
14. Multithreading
ThreadsCreating ThreadsOther Thread FunctionsAccessing Shared DataMutual ExclusionAtomic ObjectsAtomic OperationsMemory OrderingFencesCommunication Between Threads: Condition VariablesThread-Local Objects and Thread-Specific StorageUsing Thread-Local ObjectsUsing Thread-Specific Storage
15. Preprocessing Directives
Inserting the Contents of Header FilesHow the Preprocessor Finds Header FilesNested #include DirectivesDefining and Using MacrosMacros Without ParametersMacros with ParametersUsing Macros Within MacrosMacro Scope and RedefinitionType-generic MacrosConditional CompilingThe #if and #elif DirectivesThe defined OperatorThe #ifdef and #ifndef DirectivesDefining Line NumbersGenerating Error MessagesThe #pragma DirectiveThe _Pragma OperatorPredefined MacrosConditionally Defined Macros
II. Standard Library
16. The Standard Headers
Using the Standard HeadersExecution EnvironmentsFunction and Macro CallsReserved IdentifiersFunctions with Bounds-CheckingAvailabilityRuntime ConstraintsContents of the Standard Headersassert.hcomplex.hctype.herrno.hfenv.hfloat.hinttypes.hiso646.hlimits.hlocale.hmath.hsetjmp.hsignal.hstdalign.hstdarg.hstdatomic.hstdbool.hstddef.hstdint.hstdio.hstdlib.hstdnoreturn.hstring.htgmath.hthreads.htime.huchar.hwchar.hwctype.h
17. Functions at a Glance
Input and OutputMathematical FunctionsMathematical Functions for Integer TypesFloating-Point FunctionsFunction-Like MacrosPragmas for Arithmetic OperationsThe Floating-Point EnvironmentError HandlingCharacter Classification and ConversionCharacter ClassificationCase MappingString ProcessingMultibyte CharactersConverting Between Numbers and StringsSearching and SortingMemory Block HandlingDynamic Memory ManagementDate and TimeProcess ControlCommunication with the Operating SystemSignalsInternationalizationNonlocal JumpsMultithreading (C11)Thread FunctionsAtomic OperationsDebuggingError Messages
18. Standard Library Functions
III. Basic Tools
19. Compiling with GCC
The GNU Compiler CollectionObtaining and Installing GCCCompiling C Programs with GCCStep by StepMultiple Input FilesDynamic Linking and Shared Object FilesFreestanding ProgramsC DialectsCompiler WarningsOptimizationThe -O LevelsThe -f FlagsFloating-Point OptimizationArchitecture-Specific OptimizationWhy Not Optimize?DebuggingProfilingOption and Environment Variable SummaryCommand-Line OptionsEnvironment Variables
20. Using make to Build C Programs
Targets, Prerequisites, and CommandsThe MakefileRulesThe Command ScriptPattern RulesSuffix RulesBuilt-In RulesImplicit Rule ChainsDouble-Colon RulesCommentsVariablesAssignment OperatorsVariables and WhitespaceTarget-Specific Variable AssignmentsThe Automatic VariablesOther Built-In VariablesEnvironment VariablesPhony TargetsOther Target AttributesMacrosFunctionsBuilt-In FunctionsUser-Defined FunctionsDirectivesConditionalsIncludesOther DirectivesRunning makeGenerating Header DependenciesRecursive make CommandsCommand-Line OptionsSpecial Targets Used as Runtime OptionsGCC Options for Generating Makefile Rules
21. Debugging C Programs with GDB
Installing GDBA Sample Debugging SessionSymbol InformationFinding a BugStarting GDBCommand-Line ArgumentsCommand-Line OptionsInitialization FilesUsing GDB CommandsCommand CompletionDisplaying Help for CommandsStatus InformationRunning a Program in the DebuggerDisplaying Source CodeWorking with BreakpointsResuming Execution After a BreakAnalyzing the StackDisplaying DataWatchpoints: Observing Operations on VariablesAnalyzing Core Files in GDB
22. Using an IDE with C
IDEs for CThe Eclipse IDE for C/C++Installing Eclipse CDTRunning EclipsePerspectives and ViewsDeveloping a C Program with EclipseCreating a New C ProjectEditingCompiling and Running a ProgramProject PropertiesDebugging a C Program in EclipseStarting the DebuggerSetting BreakpointsControlling Program Execution in the DebuggerFurther Information on Eclipse
Index

Overview

The new edition of this classic O’Reilly reference provides clear, detailed explanations of every feature in the C language and runtime library, including multithreading, type-generic macros, and library functions that are new in the 2011 C standard (C11). If you want to understand the effects of an unfamiliar function, and how the standard library requires it to behave, you’ll find it here, along with a typical example.

Ideal for experienced C and C++ programmers, this book also includes popular tools in the GNU software collection. You’ll learn how to build C programs with GNU Make, compile executable programs from C source code, and test and debug your programs with the GNU debugger.

In three sections, this authoritative book covers:

C language concepts and language elements, with separate chapters on types, statements, pointers, memory management, I/O, and more
The C standard library, including an overview of standard headers and a detailed function reference
Basic C programming tools in the GNU software collection, with instructions on how use them with the Eclipse IDE

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