deraustin@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote: > Some twenty-five or more years ago I studied C language for a brief > period using Hisoft's Lattice C on an Atari ST computer. Now, retired, > with time available and with an Intel Apple iMac computer, I am keen to > renew this study. > > From recent reading my best course would seem to be to use GCC and, > towards this end, I have acquired Brian Gough's book 'An Introduction to > GCC' and, to refresh my memory, Kerninghan and Ritchie's 'The C > Programming Language (ANSI edition)', having lost the copy of the > earlier edition I once had. > > Lattice C came complete with compiler and all necessary system > libraries and header files etc and, using the Lattice C manual and K > and R, I was able to start writing what were to me quite complicated > programs fairly quickly; to my regret most of this is now lost and > forgotten. My problem is that with the C language compilers, libraries > etc that are available now by downloads and otherwise, I am not at all > sure which I should acquire in order to, first, begin my studies with > GCC, and then to gradually progress to more advanced levels. > > I would be grateful for any help you can give me on how, and from > whence, I can acquire the appropriate compiler program, system files and > the standard and other libraries, indeed all I need to start building > and running C programs. > > At 86 and with three young grandsons, all knowledgeable about > computers (although not yet into programming) my aim is to learn enough > to surprise them by sending them stand-alone, executable programs on > disk for them to run on their PCs. That's great. > Any advice you can give me towards this end, including guides, > tutorials, books etc, which might be of help would be much appreciated. First, you need to install Xcode. According to http://developer.apple.com/TOOLS/xcode/, Xcode is packaged on the DVD with every copy of Mac OS X. Xcode includes GCC. Install that first, and see how you get on. I'm not a Mac developer so I won't be able much to help you with Mac-specific issues -- for that you might be better off asking a Mac forum. But by all means ask. Andrew.
