A Quick Reference to C Programming Language

Structure of a C Program
#include(stdio.h) /* include IO library */
#include... /* include other files */
#define.. /* define constants */

/* Declare global variables*/)

(variable type)(variable list);

/* Define program functions */

(type returned)(function name)(parameter list)
(declaration of parameter types)
{
(declaration of local variables);
(body of function code);
}
/* Define main function*/
main ((optional argc and argv arguments))
(optional declaration parameters)
{
(declaration of local variables);
(body of main function code);
}

Comments
Format: /*(body of comment) */
Example: /*This is a comment in C*/

Constant Declarations
Format: #define(constant name)(constant value)
Example: #define MAXIMUM 1000

Type Definitions

Format: typedef(datatype)(symbolic name);

Example: typedef int KILOGRAMS;

Variables
Declarations:
Format: (variable type)(name 1)(name 2),...;
Example: int firstnum, secondnum;
 char alpha;
int firstarray[10];
int doublearray[2][5];
char firststring[1O];

Initializing:
Format: (variable type)(name)=(value);
Example: int firstnum=5;

Assignments:
Format: (name)=(value);
Example: firstnum=5;
Alpha='a';

Unions
Declarations:
Format: union(tag)
{(type)(member name);
(type)(member name);
...
}(variable name);
Example: union demotagname
{int a;
float b;
}demovarname;

Assignment:
Format: (tag).(member name)=(value);
demovarname.a=1;
demovarname.b=4.6;

Structures
Declarations:
Format: struct(tag)
{(type)(variable);
(type)(variable);
...
}(variable list);
Example: struct student
{int idnum;
int finalgrade;
char lettergrade;
} first,second,third;
 Assignment:
Format: (variable name).(member)=(value);
Example: first.idnum=333;
second.finalgrade=92;

Operators
Symbol Operation Example
+,-,*,/ arithmetic 1 = b + c;
% mod a = b % c;
> greater than if (a > b)
>= greater than or equal if (a >= b)
< less than if (a <b)
<= less than or equal if (a <= b)
== equality if ( == b)
= assignment a=25;
!= not equal if (a != b)
! not if (!a)
&& logical and if (a) && (b)
logical or if (a) (b)
++ increment ++ a;
-- decrement -- a;
& bitwise and a = b & c;
bitwise or a = b - c;
∧ a =b∧c
bitwise xor
>> shift-right a = b >> 2;
<< shift-left a = b << 2;
~ one's complement a = ~b

Input and Output

Output
Print Formats:
String: print("(literal string)");
String+newline: print ("(string)\n");
Variables: printf("(conversion specs)",(variables));

Print Examples:
print("firstvar+secondvar=%d\n",thirdvar);

Print Conversion Specifications:

%d decimal
%u unsigned decimal
%o octal
 %h hex
%e exponential
%f float
%g shorter of %e or %f
%c char
%s string
Print Escape Sequences:
\n newline
\t tab
\r carriage return
\f form feed
\b backspace
\' output
\\ output \

Input:
Scanf Format:
scanf("(conversion specs)",&(varl),&(var2),...);

Scanf Example:
scanf("%d %d %d",&first,&second,&third);

Scanf Conversion Specifications:

%d decimal integer expected
%o octalinteger expected
%x hex integer expected
%h short integer expected
%c character expected
%s string expected
%r real value expected
%e exponential notation expected

Primitive Input and Output Examples:

Get a character from standard input: c = getchar();
Put a character on standard output: putcher(c);

Control Structures
FOR LOOP Format:
for ((first expr);(second expr);(third expr))
(simple statement);
for ((first expr);(second expr);(third expr))
{
(compound statement);
 }

WHILE LOOP Format:

while ((condition))
(simple statement);
while ((condition))
{
(compound statement);
}
DO WHILE LOOP Format:
do
(simple statement)'
while ((condition))
do {
(compound statement);
}
while ((condition));

IF CONDITIONAL Format:
if ((condition))
(simple statement);
if ((condition))
{
(compound statement);
}

IF... ELSE CONDITIONAL Format:

if ((condition))
(statement 1);
else
(statement 2);
SWITCH Format:
switch ((expression))
{case (value 1):(statement 1);
case (value 2):(statement 2);
...
default:(default statement);
}

Function Definitions
Format:
(type returned)(function name)((parameter list))
(declaration of parameter list variables)
{
 (declaration of local variables);
(body of function code);
}

Example:
Int. adder(a,b)
int a,b;
{int c;
c = a + b;
return (c);

}
Pointers
Declaration of pointer variable:
Format: (type)*(variable name);
Examples: int *p;
struct student *classmember;

The major ingradients of C Programming language:

A C program consists of a main function and several program
functions. The program can also access many external functions
that are contained in the header file and C library.
• The roles of the main function include declaring global
variables, defining program functions and specifying the
sources of external functions.
• The header file normally contains frequently used utility
functions such as IO library, etc.
• The program function carries out a specific task of the
program, acting as a building block of the program.
Arguments can be used to pass values. The name of the
function can also be used as a variable of specified type to
return a value to the main program.
• An array is indexed by a pointer. The pointer starts at 0, rather
than 1.
In the simple tutorial of Introduction to C Programming, we will
learn the very basic elements of a C program through an
example. To under each elements of this short program and try
to add additional features to the program.