Well, I've just started C programming a couple weeks ago, but im a fast learner. I've read though a couple of good tutorials, and am starting to get a feel for the language. However, I would like to start researching into how to communicate between two programs running over a network, or the internet. The idea is to have the same program running on both computers, and being able to communicate with eachother. So where is the best place to start for someone who has never done programming over a network before, but has a firm grasp on the concepts behind it. I've looked into socket programming, but my compiler didn't have some header files, and I thought that I would come here and see if I'm even venturing down the right path. Any tutorials are very much appreciated, keep in mind I haven't done this sort of thing before

You need to learn socket programming to write programs that communicate over network. But whats more important is to learn about protocols such as TCP,UDP and IP and some other protocols such as ICMP (used by ping utility).
Make sure you understand the functionality and behaviour of each protocol before you actually start writing programs that use these protocols.

Following is the link for one good begineers tutorial on Network programming on Unix Platform

http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~beej/guide/net/html/

For windows, most of the concepts and APIs are same but you need to learn about Winsock programming. Here is the link to one such tutorial and FAQs for new programmers.

http://tangentsoft.net/wskfaq/

There is one wonderful and must have book for all network programmers by Richard Stevens by name Unix Network programming Volume I.

Good luck.

You may be a fast learner, but definitely not that fast. IMAO, a couple of weeks is not enough time to understand the language well enough before branching into advanced topics like sockets and networking. You want to get a firm grounding in the language otherwise you will have a fight in two fronts -- fighting a language you don't quite understand yet AND trying to understand high-level concepts.

Give the language a little more time to get firmly absorbed into your grey matter, then it's much easier to learn outside topics.

It's kinda like starting to learn French and deciding to read Les Misérables right away. Most of your time is spent looking up French words than understanding the story.

__________________

Got a cough? Go home tonight and eat a whole box of Ex-Lax. Tomorrow, you'll be afraid to cough.
-- Pearl Williams

Okay Waltp, any personal preferences for some tutorials to help the absorption process?

I'm self-taught from the pre-web days and the way I handled it was using K&R's "Programming in C", compiler documentation, and ten+ years of previous programming experience. I therefore don't know any tutorials on the web. But others here do, hopefully they will add their recomendations.

The ebook "Thinking in C++" looks like a good one by Bruce Eckel. It can be downloaded free. Many of the SAM's books ("Learn something in small number Days") I've also found for download. Check them out.


Here are some useful tutorials in our Tutorial section:
Things to avoid in C/C++
Guidelines for C development
Formatting C/C++ code
Standard I/O
Naming Conventions
Command Line Parameters

__________________

Got a cough? Go home tonight and eat a whole box of Ex-Lax. Tomorrow, you'll be afraid to cough.
-- Pearl Williams

As much as I'd like to make a smart elbow comment on the first half of the sentence I'll stick with the second. The K&R book is one you will most likely treasure. I use c++ but as the standard says, c is valid c++. Make sure you get the one with the big blue C (second edition) on it. ISBN 0131103628. My understanding is that there were some serious changes made in it. Being only barely pre-web myself I have never seen the older edition though. (drat I went and did it anyhow)


This one is excellent and you can get both volumes as a download. The frames version is really nice to navigate. The only thing is that there is something to be said for holding an actual book for reference. Maybe one of these days there will be a good Linux tablet that could have your compiler/editor documentation reader etc on it but I think they are still a bit expensive. If you like eBooks it is most excellent. It can be found here.

As far as print material I recomend the following:
Practical C++ ISBN 0596004192
Effective C++ ISBN 0201924889
An Introduction to GCC ISBN 0954161793

Hope this is helpful

Mark

EDIT:
I forgot to add my favorite link
Dinkum Reference. The set a bookmark to the index while you are at it. It is great for getting function sigs.

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"A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes."
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Good boy. Have a biscuit...

I've only read the first one, but Version 2 is much thicker. Go for the new one.

See that symbol on the GUI bar? The one that looks like a printer???? ;-)

Oh, and search this board because other people have recommended books and tutorials. Other help boards are a good source too.

__________________

Got a cough? Go home tonight and eat a whole box of Ex-Lax. Tomorrow, you'll be afraid to cough.
-- Pearl Williams