Modern C, Third Edition

Discover the full power of modern C programming, with an inside look at the new C23 standard.

For programs that need to be small, fast, and reliable, C is the gold standard. Whether you’re writing embedded code, low-level system routines, or high-performance applications, C is up to the challenge. This unique book by Jens Gustedt, a member of the ISO C standards committee, gets you up to speed with C23.

In Modern C, Third Edition you’ll:

• Learn C basics, core features, and advanced concepts
• Leverage major C23 improvements for security, reliability, and performance
• Write portable code that runs anywhere
• Build multi-threaded applications with atomics and synchronization
• Create robust and resilient software with error handling
• Use type-generic programming for reusable code

In Modern C, Third Edition you’ll learn to harness C’s full potential using the latest tools and techniques. After a quick review of the fundamentals suited for coders who haven’t used C in a while, this book guides you to mastery of C23, the latest ISO standard.

About the Technology

From code running on the smallest embedded devices to the low-level libraries behind popular programming languages like Python and Ruby, the software world depends on C. And even after 50 years, it’s still getting better! The new C23 standard adds improvements for security, reliability, and performance. In this thoroughly-revised new edition, author Jens Gustedt gives you an authoritative inside view.

About the Book

Modern C, Third Edition is a fast-paced introduction to the C language, with special attention on its most modern features. It starts with a quick review of structure, grammar, and execution and then progresses quickly to control structures, data types, operators, and other core language features. Fully revised for C23, this expanded Third Edition covers compound expressions and lambdas, new insights into approaching program failure, and how to transition smoothly to C23.

What’s Inside

• All major C23 features
• Portable code that runs anywhere
• Multi-threaded applications with atomics and synchronization
• Use type-generic programming for reusable code

About the Readers

For readers with intermediate skills in any programming language.

About the Author

Jens Gustedt is a senior scientist at the French National Institute for Computer Science and Control (INRIA), deputy director of the ICube lab in Strasbourg, France, and an active member of the ISO C standards committee.

Table of Contents

Level 0 Encounter
1 Getting started
2 The principal structure of a program
Level 1 Acquaintance
3 Everything is about control
4 Expressing computations
5 Basic values and data
6 Derived data types
7 Functions
8 C library functions
Level 2 Cognition
9 Style
10 Organization and documentation
11 Pointers
12 The C memory model
13 Storage
14 More involved processing and I/O
15 Program failure
Level 3 Experience
16 Performance
17 Function-like macros
18 Type-generic programming
19 Variations in control flow
20 Threads
21 Atomic access and memory consistency
A Transitional code
B C compilers
C C libraries
Takeaways

Jens Gustedt has been a senior scientist at the French National Institute for Computer Science and Control (INRIA) since 1998, working in areas including algorithms, scientific experimentation, models for coarse-grained parallelism, and distributed locking. Currently, he's conducting the Modular C project, which has given rise to libraries such as arbogast and EiLck.