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What are the best resources to learn C/C++?

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23 Options Considered

23 Options ConsideredPricePriceLanguages
SoloLearn
FreeC++, Java, JavaScript, C#, Python, SQL, PHP, Swift, Ruby, JQuery, HTML, CSS.
Accelerated C++
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Learn C The Hard Way
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C++ Primer
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Effective C++
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See Full List

SoloLearn

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Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Share and modify others' projects

•••
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Excellent mobile apps available

•••
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Easy for beginners

•••
Anyone can get started with this.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Browser-based code playgrounds

•••
No software installation needed, just a modern web browser. On mobile devices though the mobile apps are highly recommended.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Offline learning mode for mobile apps

•••
Allows learning while disconnected from the net.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Gamification

•••
XP, levels, badges, certificates, etc.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Completely free

•••
Ubuntu Tech
Top Con

Limited usefulness for intermediate or experienced programmers

•••
No advanced coding challenges. Look for those on other sites like hackerrank.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Con

Only the most commonly used languages are covered.

•••
C++, Java, JavaScript, C#, Python, SQL, PHP, Swift, Ruby, JQuery, HTML, CSS. You won't find anything less common like Haskell, Erlang, Elixir, Common Lisp, Scheme, Clojure, Rust, etc.
See 7 more Pros & ConsSee 7 more Pros & Cons

Accelerated C++

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Andris Pelcbergs
Nathan Repp
Top Pro

Designed to quickly bring you up to speed on the basic C++ elements

•••
The book starts out by covering STL with practical examples and only later moves on to class design, inheritance, and polymorphism.
Andris Pelcbergs
Nathan Repp
Top Pro

Great for people who are familiar with at least some other language

•••
This book is excellent for people who have some knowledge of programming concepts or have read an introductory book on programming or C++.
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Learn C The Hard Way

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Andris Pelcbergs
Nathan Repp
Top Pro

Designed for people new to C

•••
The book covers very basics such as C syntax, idioms, compilations, make files, linkers and how to find and prevent bugs.
Andris Pelcbergs
Nathan Repp
Top Pro

Very practical and hands on

•••
Contains many exercises that will require getting hands dirty very early on.
Andris Pelcbergs
Nathan Repp
Top Pro

Can be combined with a video course

•••
A complimentary course is available on Udemy. The course costs $29.
Andris Pelcbergs
Top Pro

Free

•••
The book is available online for free.
Andris Pelcbergs
Top Con

Has errors

•••
Includes technical errors throughout the book.
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C++ Primer

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Andris Pelcbergs
Nathan Repp
Top Pro

Great for people who know just the very basics of programming

•••
This book is excellent for people who have basic knowledge of programming concepts or have read an introductory book on programming or C++.
Andris Pelcbergs
Top Pro

Explains C++11 extension well

•••
5th edition adds information on C++11 additions and integrates it throughout the book so it's not just an appendix with new stuff.
Andris Pelcbergs
Nathan Repp
Top Pro

Covers the core of the language without omitting anything critical

•••
The book describes core concepts of C++ programming in-depth. It covers various nuances that would otherwise be easy to misinterpret.
Andris Pelcbergs
Top Con

No mention of threads, atomic instructions, or memory model

•••
Andris Pelcbergs
Top Con

Poor for people with no previous programming experience

•••
Andris Pelcbergs
Top Con

Does not cover template metaprogramming

•••
See 4 more Pros & ConsSee 4 more Pros & Cons

Effective C++

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Nathan Repp
Top Pro

It's the best second book C++ programmers should read

•••
Andris Pelcbergs
Nathan Repp
Top Pro

Acts as a guide to best practises

•••
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The C Programming Language

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Andris Pelcbergs
Top Pro

Simple narrative that breaks down concepts to their core

•••
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Programming in C

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Andris Pelcbergs
Top Pro

Lots of example code

•••
Each topic has good example code.
Andris Pelcbergs
Top Pro

Lots of exercises

•••
Each chapter has good exercises at the end that allows making sure the knowledge is solidified.
Andris Pelcbergs
Top Pro

Great explanations

•••
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The C book

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Andris Pelcbergs
Top Pro

Free

•••
The book is available online for free.
Andris Pelcbergs
Nathan Repp
Top Pro

Great for programmers with some experience with high-level procedural programming languages

•••
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Essential C

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Andris Pelcbergs
Top Pro

Free

•••
The book is available as a free pdf.
Nathan Repp
Top Pro

Good quick rundown of the basic features of C

•••
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Programming: Principles and Practice Using C++

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Nathan Repp
Top Pro

Assumes no previous programming experience

•••
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Thinking in C++

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Andris Pelcbergs
Top Pro

Great for people with background in C

•••
The book often compares how things would be done in C as opposed to C++.
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Beej's Guide to C Programming

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Andris Pelcbergs
Top Pro

Free

•••
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The New C Standard

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Andris Pelcbergs
Top Pro

Free

•••
Available for free as a pdf.
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C++ Templates: The Complete Guide

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Nathan Repp
Top Pro

Very practical with great examples

•••
Andris Pelcbergs
Nathan Repp
Top Pro

Great for intermediate C++ programmers

•••
This books provides a comprehensive guide to C++ templates, so it's perfect for developers with some experience with the language.
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Modern C++ Design

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Andris Pelcbergs
Nathan Repp
Top Pro

Great for programmers who want to become experts in C++

•••
Covers various tricks using C++'s template mechanism and advanced design patterns.
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Object-oriented programming with ANSI-C

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Exceptional C++

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Nathan Repp
Top Pro

Aimed at experienced C++ programmers

•••
Nathan Repp
Top Pro

The format of the book is a series of challenging puzzles

•••
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The New Boston C++ Course

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Andris Pelcbergs
Top Pro

Video tutorials

•••
Tutorials are presented as videos, making them easy to follow / see what's going on at each step. Many people find this format less daunting and easier to take in than traditional text based tutorials.
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A Tutorial on Pointers and Arrays in C

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Andris Pelcbergs
Top Pro

Free

•••
Available for free online.
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The New Boston C Course

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Andris Pelcbergs
John Bevan
Top Pro

Video tutorials

•••
Tutorials are presented as videos, making them easy to follow / see what's going on at each step. Many people find this format less daunting and easier to take in than traditional text based tutorials.
Andris Pelcbergs
John Bevan
Top Pro

Setup instructions included

•••
The first video explains how to set up everything you need to get started on your machine. A lot of tutorials tell you about the language but leave you in the dark on how to get it up and running, creating a stumbling block before the first post.
Andris Pelcbergs
John Bevan
Top Pro

Suitable for beginners

•••
No assumptions are made about prior knowledge, meaning anyone can start watching and pick up the basics of the language fairly quickly.
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17 Community Recommendations

Claudiu Vlad Ursache
Andris Pelcbergs
Nathan Repp
Anton Simakov
Andrés Araya
Tribse
greyfade
Ubuntu Tech
Tribute
UnderstandingAltjira
Asif Mughal
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