To make a list:
We have C, Zune GUI, OpenGL, Library, and Driver.
The last 3 could be learned, I guess, in any order.

Quote:


Then I think, starting with plain C an Zune is the way to go.
http://www.aros.org/documentation/developers/zune-dev/zune-application-development.php

Thanks for a cool reply.
I guess making applications would be best before doing OS development.

Are we talking about someone that wants to write a piece of software that runs on Aros, or someone that wants to help develop Aros itself?

Two very different things.

Also, even if the answer is "write a piece of software that runs on Aros" the pre-requisites are going to be pretty wide and varied without answering the next question which is going to be...

What do you want to develop? (Game, command line tool, etc.)

What do you all think would be list of pre-requisites for being an Aros Programmer?

C is just a language.

The other parts are the libraries, without them you can't even write the "Hello World" program.

The libraries might confuse a former BASIC programmer. But most programming languages have only a limited set of I/O functions. If you want windows, buttons, text boxes, graphics or sound you will need libraries for it.

You can decide between OS oriented libraries (great for application programming on Amiga, AROS, Morphos) or cross platform libraries like SDL (great for games on Amiga, AROS, Morphos, Linux, Windows)

No need to spend much money. This is free for Online Reading and it is written for Beginners:

http://openbook.rheinwerk-verlag.de/c_von_a_bis_z/

The most important thing to know about programming in C is:
Comments are written like /* this */,
Most compilers will also accept them like: // this.

Even if you happen to learn the whole of the language from bad examples, getting into the habit of commenting NOW, will still get you through. If you learn from a good book, but don't comment, just like people forget the details of the language, you'll still forget how your program works.

Speaking of a good book:
- The C Programming Language" - Kernighan, Ritchie can be bought from the Internet for some 12 euros.
- The C Programming Language, 2nd edition" - Kernighan, Ritchie can be bought from the Internet for some 20 euros.
The first one for if you really can't spare more money, but take the second one if you can, as it covers the ANSI version of C. The book is both a tutorial and a reference manual, it'll teach you the language if you have no other teacher, and afterwards it'll let you look up the details you forget.


/* C. Amiga Micro Add: A program to add two numbers. */

/* This version asks for two integers, adds them, and
* prints the result.
* There's a companion program that uses floats.
* NOTE: If both programs are kept, one needs to be renamed.
* BUG: If both numbers are entered at once,
* will still ask for second number.
* More of a weakness than a bug; change or leave it?
*/

/* ----------------------------------------------------- */

#include <stdio.h>

int main(void) {
int a; int b; int res; /* Probably could be compacted. */
/* Do the names of these explain their functions? */

/* Introduction */
printf("\n\nWelcome to Amiga Micro Add V.0.0.1\n\n");

/* Input conversation */
printf("\nPlease enter a Number for Addition : ");
scanf("%d",&a); /* Get first number. */
printf("\nPlease enter a second Number for Addition: ");
scanf("%d",&b); /* Get second number. */

/* Calculation */
res = a + b;

/* Output */
printf("\nThe result is: %d\n", res);


/* Feedback (none) */
return 0;
}

/* ----------------------------------------------------- */

/* Do we really need that many newlines?
** If we do, is there a reason why some are
** at the start of the line and others at the end?
* It now sums up two numbers; can we make it sum up more?
* As this is an Amiga program, check conventions for
* Amiga commands from the C: drawer.
*/


Bye

I do have programming books from school, C and C++.
I have done pointers, talk about love hate.

There is a project I want to do but do not know when I will get around to it.

Basic is still a fun language to me. I have seen both Foss and commercial versions.

How much depth do you want to go into? It alone is not going to give you the knowledge to work on an OS, that's for sure, but that's always the battle and nothing to do with knowing a language. Programming languages themselves are usually relatively easy to learn. Sure there are always complex parts and subjects like pointers, generics and so on (I'm mixing languages here), but the basic language is usually quite straightforward. It get's complex when you have the syntax nailed and want to know how you can do stuff. Then you need to know your subject. Libraries, API's, hardware, how things work and so on.

Anyway, getting back on-topic, the book I mention covers all the bases from a C syntax perspective, delves into some of the more complex topics, structures, pointers,function pointers, linked lists, types, unions, etc.

It also goes over the standard library and some of the usual things you will need like file I/O and stuff. It seems to have a section at the end on UNIX for some reason - file descriptors, I/O etc.

I should probably say that I've never read it as a book. I don't think I've ever read a programming book cover to cover, they are simply not that exciting whoever the author! I used it as a reference when attending night class and go back to it when I need a refresher on something. Usually either recursive include files or pointers because as someone that dips in and out of C, they are the things I tend to forget.

What it will NOT tell you, is how build systems work, how make and meta-make work, GCC and so on. It probably covers how to compile something - I don't recall, back then we were using some MS-DOS based environment. But that's not strictly part of the C "language" as such.