C Programming

Course Outline

• Welcome to C
• Course Objectives
• Practical Exercises
• Features of C
• The History of C
• Standard C vs. K&R C
• A C Program
• The Format of C
• Another Example
• Variables
• printf and scanf
• Integer Types in C
• Integer Example
• Character Example
• Integers with different bases
• Real types in C
• Real Example
• Constants
• Warning!
• Named Constants
• Preprocessor Constants
• Take Care With printf and scanf!

• Operators in C
• Arithmetic Operators
• Using Arithmetic Operators
• The Cast Operator
• Increment and Decrement
• Prefix and Postfix
• Truth in C
• Comparison Operators
• Logical Operators
• Logical Operators
• Bitwise Operators
• Bitwise Example
• Assignment
• Other Assignment Operators
• sizeof Operator
• Conditional Expression Operator
• Precedence of Operators
• Associativity
• Precedence/Associativity Table

• Control Flow
• Decisions if then
• if then else
• Nesting ifs
• switch
• More about switch
• while loop
• Semicolon Warning!
• while, not until!
• do while
• for loop
• for is not until either!
• Stepping with for
• Extending the for loop
• break
• continue

• The RulesWriting a Function
• Calling a Function
• Prototypes
• Prototyping is Not Really Optional
• Writing Prototypes
• Take Care With Semicolons
• Example Prototypes
• Example Calls
• Rules of Visibility
• Call by Value
• Call by Value
• C and the Stack
• Stack Example
• Storage
• auto
• static
• register
• Global Variables

• Pointers
• Declaring Pointers
• Example Pointer Declarations
• The "&" Operator
• Rules
• The "*" Operator
• Writing Down Pointers
• Initialisation Warning!
• Initialise Pointers!
• NULL
• Fill in the Gaps
• Type Mismatch
• Call by Value
• Reminder
• Call by Reference
• Pointers to Pointers

• Declaring Arrays
• Accessing Elements
• Array Names
• Passing Arrays to Functions
• Using Pointers
• Pointers Go Backwards Too
• Pointers May be Subtracted
• Using Pointers
• * and ++
• Which Notation?
• Strings
• Printing Strings
• Null Really Does Mark the End!
• Assigning to Strings
• Pointing to Strings
• Multidimensional Arrays

• Concepts
• Setting up the Template
• Creating Instances
• Initialising Instances
• Structures Within Structures
• Accessing Members
• Unusual Properties
• Instances May Be Assigned
• Passing Instances to Functions
• Pointers to Structures
• Why (*p).name?
• Using p->name
• Pass by Reference
• Returning Structure Instances
• Linked Lists
• Example
• Printing the List

• Introduction
• SOAC
• typedef

• Introduction
• Streams
• What is a Stream?
• Why stdout and stderr?
• stdin is Line Buffered
• Opening Files
• Dealing with Errors
• File Access Problem
• Copying Files
• Convenience Problem
• Accessing the Command Line
• Useful Routines
• Binary Files

• Unions
• Remembering
• Enumerated Types
• Using Different Constants
• The Preprocessor
• Including Files
• Pathnames
• Preprocessor Constants
• Avoid Temptation!
• Preprocessor Macros
• A Debugging Aid
• Working With Large Projects
• Data Sharing Example
• Data Hiding Example
• Use Header Files
• Getting it Right

• What is the Heap?
• How Much Memory?
• Dynamic Arrays
• Using Dynamic Arrays
• calloc/malloc Example
• realloc Example
• realloc can do it all
• Allocating Arrays of Arrays
• Dynamic Data Structures
• Linking the List