CompuServe Thread

Rick, There is an international standard for the C language, but it is just being implemented – the ANSI standard for C. All of the compilers are moving towards implementing the standard fully, but it has not been fully defined for very long, and it may be the next version or so before they have time to get in everything. Lattice is, so far as I know, the most fully compliant at the current time. Mostly, all C compilers follow the standards set by the authors of C, Kernighan and Ritchie. The Lattice compiler has options that optimize your code to make it run fast. That is probably what the ad was talking about. In my opinion (and I know just enough C to dislike it intensely), you will need a good bit more than the compiler itself in order to learn the language. You will need some good textbooks to help you learn the language, and then something to help you apply that language to the Amiga. Lots of people don't like the Abacus books, sometimes with good reason, but if you have never programmed and know nothing about C, I think you would profit from AMIGA C FOR BEGINNERS. It starts VERY simply, and not only does it tell you about the code to write – it also tells you about the various switches you need to know in order to get it to compile. The compiler can be quite intimidating in itself if you don't know about such things. You would probably also profit from something like C PRIMER PLUS from the Waite group. And a real must, I feel, is PROGRAMMER'S GUIDE TO THE AMIGA, by Rob Peck and published by Sybex. The compiler literature will tell you how to use the compiler, but it will NOT teach you to program in C. My opinion, of course. Others may differ. ……Betty