Chris said:
>I have been using PICs since last June programming in assembler, I am now
looking a using the C language. What are the advantages/disadvantages of C
over the assembly language. Am I right in thinking that there are built in
'modules' for division, multiplication etc.  Are there any good online
tutorials on programming in C for complete beginers?

1. Yes there are a lot of tutorials.  Google on C Tutorial and throw a
dart at the screen.  I used to have one but I have lost the link.

2. I learned C by getting a compiler/tutorial that ran on the PC, for
quick feedback.  POWER C by Mix Software

http://www.mixsoftware.com/product/powerc.htm

is a good one, $19.95 US, has a nice, step by step tutorial, and a decent
C manual, plus it is a compiler.

3. Get the real book  The C Programming Language by Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie.  This is the authoritative reference.

4.  Advantages of C:  High level of abstraction, high productivity,
portability, maintainability  Takes up less space than most other high
level languages (I.E. PicBasic etc.) and you can write C code for
virtually any brand of microcontroller.

5. Disadvantages of C:  takes up more space than assembler.  Depending on
the compiler, this will or will not be much of a problem.  Depending on
your skill as an assembly language programmer, this may or may not be
true!  Depending on the C language you use, it may or may not be portable.


6. C  includes math routines of all kinds,
multiply/divide/cosine/tangent/sqrt etc.  string routines, and more
depending on the compiler.

I have done everything in C these last 5 years, and don't see a need to go
back to assembler.  Of course, I sometimes embed assembler inside C, when
assembler is more efficient.


-- Lawrence Lile



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