Pelles C - Help File

[wallep]

Hi Folks,

I started reading the 'Help File' today located in the menu bar under, Help--> Contents. It is also accessible in the 'Pelles C' program folder as a separate file. I am using version 7.0.

I started with the introduction and proceeded until I eventually arrived at some heavy reading that was a challenge to understand.

Then I started to skip around and found some sections that I better understood.

Question #1
Is it ok to skip around and find a 'natural' place to start (in the Help File) or do you recommend that a newbie start at the 'Introduction' and proceed reading in sequential order (i.e. page by page - section by section)?

In other words,  I don't want to develop any awkward study habits by bouncing around the Help File.

Question #2
Again please, is there is a recommended method of 'approaching' the Pelles C 'Help File' on a complete newbie basis to programming in 'C'.

I learn best by reading and engaging in the Pelles C IDE (i.e. actually coding a small beginners program). I try to keep it interesting and mind engaging, this way I won't get lost reading some sections that may be too advanced for me.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I am also simultaneously reading, "Teach Yourself C programming in 21 Days".

Thank you kindly

[CommonTater]

I started reading the users manual. I started with the introduction and proceeded until I eventually arrived at some heavy reading that was a challenge to understand.

Then I started to skip around and found some sections that I better understood.

If you are referring to the Help File, you should read the parts about the Integrated Environment, to learn how to use the IDE and familiarize yourself with the Command Line Tools for information about the various flags and defines they present.  You might also familiarize yourself with C's keywords and it's operators (you'll also get this from your training manuals). 

Beyond that you can quite safely treat it as a "reference text" that you go to when you need information...
Glance at the lists of standard headers and private headers with the goal of knowing how to access the information when you need it but don't think you need to know them in any meaningful way beyond that.

The big joy in POIDE is that each keyword and library function is easly checked... If it's present the syntax highlighter will colour it for you... if it's coloured, placing your edit cursor on it and pressing F1 will give you the details. 

[wallep]

If you are referring to the Help File, ...

Yes, it should have said, 'Help File' and not 'User Manual'. I corrected the original post. Thank you

you should read the parts about the Integrated Environment, to learn how to use the IDE and familiarize yourself with the Command Line Tools for information about the various flags and defines they present. 

Yes, I do see the referenced sections inside the Help File.

The 3rd section is titled, 'Integrated Environment' 
the 4th section is titled, 'Command line tools'.

You might also familiarize yourself with C's keywords and it's operators (you'll also get this from your training manuals). 

Ok.  I see the keywords listed under C language reference --> Elements of C --> Keywords

Beyond that you can quite safely treat it as a "reference text" that you go to when you need information...
Glance at the lists of standard headers and private headers with the goal of knowing how to access the information when you need it but don't think you need to know them in any meaningful way beyond that.

Yes I see them as well.

The 5th section titled: Standard C #include files

The 6th section titled: Private #include files

The big joy in POIDE is that each keyword and library function is easly checked... If it's present the syntax highlighter will colour it for you... if it's coloured, placing your edit cursor on it and pressing F1 will give you the details. 

Ok, Thank you for helping