[nmglug] Beginning C Programming

[Akkana Peck]

J. Marsden DeLapp writes:
> Who would have thought that learning C programming would be so
> controversial?
> 
> The project is to build a PV solar system monitoring and control
> system. The system will consist of Arduino(s) to interface with the
> solar system(s). [ ... ]
> Arduinos require C programming. 

Sounds like a fun project!

Arduinos are a weird case because it's not really C, it's C++, but
it's not normal C++ either.  They won't be able to use the exercises
from a standard beginning C book: they'll bog down at the very first
hello world example, because there's no printf.  They won't even need
for or while loops for quite a while, since most of their looping will
be done in loop().  And they won't be using cc either, or worrying
about pointers.  But they will need to know about special library
calls like digitalWrite() and analogRead(), and classes like Serial
so they can do Serial.println.

For an Arduino project, it's much better to use an Arduino-oriented
programming introduction, unless you're planning to teach them C
first and then introduce the Arduino later.

	...Akkana