C Primer Plus is a carefully tested, well-crafted, and complete tutorial on a subject core to programmers and developers. This computer science classic teaches principles of programming, including structured code and top-down design.

Author and educator Stephen Prata has created an introduction to C that is instructive, clear, and insightful. Fundamental programming concepts are explained along with details of the C language. Many short, practical examples illustrate just one or two concepts at a time, encouraging readers to master new topics by immediately putting them to use.

Review questions and programming exercises at the end of each chapter bring out the most critical pieces of information and help readers understand and digest the most difficult concepts. A friendly and easy-to-use self-study guide, this book is appropriate for serious students of programming, as well as developers proficient in other languages with a desire to better understand the fundamentals of this core language.

The sixth edition of this book has been updated and expanded to cover the latest developments in C as well as to take a detailed look at the new C11 standard. In C Primer Plus you’ll find depth, breadth, and a variety of teaching techniques and tools to enhance your learning:

Complete, integrated discussion of both C language fundamentals and additional features

Clear guidance about when and why to use different parts of the language

Hands-on learning with concise and simple examples that develop your understanding of a concept or two at a time

Hundreds of practical sample programs

Review questions and programming exercises at the end of each chapter to test your understanding

Coverage of generic C to give you the greatest flexibility


Stephen Prata , now retired, taught astronomy, physics, and programming at the College of Marin in Kentfield, California. He received his B.S. from the California Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. His association with computers began with the computer modeling of star clusters. Stephen as authored or coauthored over a dozen books...