The programming language is not my weak link either. It's reading Datasheet - a terrible language for beginners.
And all datasheets seem to be written by the same guy. He does not get my vote for a Pulitzer Prize. He uses abbreviations like Vcc, Vss and "weak internal pullup" which I don't use at the dinner table. The man seems to write it as if he were late for something (maybe writing the next datasheet), cramming as much info on one page as he can get, without so much as one attempt at humor or explanation.
There is a difference between a datasheet and what is called a 'reference manual' on a more complex part. Today many companies combine the two and leave out a lot of information needed for the programmer. If it is included, it is put into a complete different chapter than the one it should be. It really was better before, with a lot of application examples included.
The syntax of a datasheet is more or less standard for all manufacturers, and most of the information given there is good. You need to read a number of them to get the training to get all the points. Remember to read the fine print too.
One thing that most newbes do wrong is to interpret all the max limits as they are written. This is not how things work.
The max limits are listed without dependence of each other, so you can't max voltage and current at the same time without looking at the power used, as an example.
There is little humor in the datasheets, and there is no need for it either. You'll get all the fun you'll need when you get your gizmo working, after nights pouring through pages of datasheets and code you've written, hunting for the bug hiding there.
I've been there, and there is absolutely no need for funny comments at 5am in the morning.
TOK