C Operators

An operator is simply a symbol that is used to perform operations. There can be many types
of operations like arithmetic, logical, bitwise, etc.

There are following types of operators to perform different types of operations in C

language.

o Arithmetic Operators
o Relational Operators
o Shift Operators
o Logical Operators
o Bitwise Operators
o Ternary or Conditional Operators
o Assignment Operator
o Misc Operator

Precedence of Operators in C
The precedence of operator species that which operator will be evaluated first and next. The
associativity specifies the operator direction to be evaluated; it may be left to right or right
to left.

Let's understand the precedence by the example given below:

1. int value=10+20*10;

The value variable will contain 210 because * (multiplicative operator) is evaluated before
+ (additive operator).

The precedence and associativity of C operators is given below:

Category Operator Associativity

Postfix () [] -> . ++ - - Left to right

Unary + - ! ~ ++ - - (type)* & sizeof Right to left

Multiplicative */% Left to right

Additive +- Left to right

 Shift << >> Left to right

Relational < <= > >= Left to right

Equality == != Left to right

Bitwise AND & Left to right

Bitwise XOR ^ Left to right

Bitwise OR | Left to right

Logical AND && Left to right

Logical OR || Left to right

Conditional ?: Right to left

Assignment = += -= *= /= %=>>= <<= &= ^= |= Right to left

Comma , Left to right

C Format Specifier
The Format specifier is a string used in the formatted input and output functions. The
format string determines the format of the input and output. The format string always starts
with a '%' character.

The commonly used format specifiers in printf() function are:

Format Description
specifier

%d or %i It is used to print the signed integer value where signed integer means that the varia
positive and negative values.

%u It is used to print the unsigned integer value where the unsigned integer means that
only positive value.

%o It is used to print the octal unsigned integer where octal integer value always starts w
 %x It is used to print the hexadecimal unsigned integer where the hexadecimal integer va
with a 0x value. In this, alphabetical characters are printed in small letters such as a,

%X It is used to print the hexadecimal unsigned integer, but %X prints the alphabetical ch
uppercase such as A, B, C, etc.

%f It is used for printing the decimal floating-point values. By default, it prints the 6 valu

%e/%E It is used for scientific notation. It is also known as Mantissa or Exponent.

%g It is used to print the decimal floating-point values, and it uses the fixed precision, i.e
the decimal in input would be exactly the same as the value in the output.

%p It is used to print the address in a hexadecimal form.

%c It is used to print the unsigned character.

%s It is used to print the strings.

%ld It is used to print the long-signed integer value.

Let's understand the format specifiers in detail through an example.

o %d

1. int main()
2. {
3. int b=6;
4. int c=8;
5. printf("Value of b is:%d", b);
6. printf("\nValue of c is:%d",c);
7.
8. return 0;
9. }

In the above code, we are printing the integer value of b and c by using the %d specifier.

Output
 o %u

1. int main()
2. {
3. int b=10;
4. int c= -10;
5. printf("Value of b is:%u", b);
6. printf("\nValue of c is:%u",c);
7.
8. return 0;
9. }

In the above program, we are displaying the value of b and c by using an unsigned format
specifier, i.e., %u. The value of b is positive, so %u specifier prints the exact value of b, but
it does not print the value of c as c contains the negative value.

Output
 o %o

1. int main()
2. {
3. int a=0100;
4. printf("Octal value of a is: %o", a);
5. printf("\nInteger value of a is: %d",a);
6. return 0;
7. }

In the above code, we are displaying the octal value and integer value of a.

Output

o %x and %X

1. int main()
2. {
3. int y=0xA;
4. printf("Hexadecimal value of y is: %x", y);
5. printf("\nHexadecimal value of y is: %X",y);
6. printf("\nInteger value of y is: %d",y);
7. return 0;
8. }

In the above code, y contains the hexadecimal value 'A'. We display the hexadecimal value
of y in two formats. We use %x and %X to print the hexadecimal value where %x displays
the value in small letters, i.e., 'a' and %X displays the value in a capital letter, i.e., 'A'.

Output

o %f

1. int main()
2. {
3. float y=3.4;
4. printf("Floating point value of y is: %f", y);
5. return 0;
6. }

The above code prints the floating value of y.

Output
 o %e

1. int main()
2. {
3. float y=3;
4. printf("Exponential value of y is: %e", y);
5. return 0;
6. }

Output

o %E

1. int main()
2. {
3. float y=3;
4. printf("Exponential value of y is: %E", y);
5. return 0;
6. }
 Output

o %g

1. int main()
2. {
3. float y=3.8;
4. printf("Float value of y is: %g", y);
5. return 0;
6. }

In the above code, we are displaying the floating value of y by using %g specifier. The %g
specifier displays the output same as the input with a same precision.

Output

o %p

1. int main()
2. {
3. int y=5;
4. printf("Address value of y in hexadecimal form is: %p", &y);
5. return 0;
6. }

Output

o %c

1. int main()
2. {
3. char a='c';
4. printf("Value of a is: %c", a);
5. return 0;
6. }

Output

o %s
1. int main()
2. {
3. printf("%s", "Rutuja");
4. return 0;
5. }

Output

Minimum Field Width Specifier

Suppose we want to display an output that occupies a minimum number of spaces on the
screen. You can achieve this by displaying an integer number after the percent sign of the
format specifier.

1. int main()
2. {
3. int x=900;
4. printf("%8d", x);
5. printf("\n%-8d",x);
6. return 0;
7. }

In the above program, %8d specifier displays the value after 8 spaces while %-8d specifier
will make a value left-aligned.

Output

Now we will see how to fill the empty spaces. It is shown in the below code:
1. int main()
2. {
3. int x=12;
4. printf("%08d", x);
5. return 0;
6. }

In the above program, %08d means that the empty space is filled with zeroes.

Output

Specifying Precision
We can specify the precision by using '.' (Dot) operator which is followed by integer and
format specifier.

1. int main()
2. {
3. float x=12.2;
4. printf("%.2f", x);
5. return 0;
6. }

Output
 Conditional Operator in C
The conditional operator is also known as a ternary operator. The conditional statements
are the decision-making statements which depends upon the output of the expression. It is
represented by two symbols, i.e., '?' and ':'.

As conditional operator works on three operands, so it is also known as the ternary

operator.

The behavior of the conditional operator is similar to the 'if-else' statement as 'if-else'
statement is also a decision-making statement.

Syntax of a conditional operator

1. Expression1? expression2: expression3;

The pictorial representation of the above syntax is shown below:

 Meaning of the above syntax.

o In the above syntax, the expression1 is a Boolean condition that can be either true
or false value.
o If the expression1 results into a true value, then the expression2 will execute.
o The expression2 is said to be true only when it returns a non-zero value.
o If the expression1 returns false value then the expression3 will execute.
o The expression3 is said to be false only when it returns zero value.

Let's understand the ternary or conditional operator through an example.

1. #include <stdio.h>
2. int main()
3. {
4. int age; // variable declaration
5. printf("Enter your age");
6. scanf("%d",&age); // taking user input for age variable
7. (age>=18)? (printf("eligible for voting")) : (printf("not eligible for voting")); // condition
al operator ternary operator
8. return 0;
9. }

In the above code, we are taking input as the 'age' of the user. After taking input, we have
applied the condition by using a conditional operator. In this condition, we are checking the
age of the user. If the age of the user is greater than or equal to 18, then the statement1
will execute, i.e., (printf("eligible for voting")) otherwise, statement2 will execute, i.e.,
(printf("not eligible for voting")).

Let's observe the output of the above program.

If we provide the age of user below 18, then the output would be:

If we provide the age of user above 18, then the output would be:
 As we can observe from the above two outputs that if the condition is true, then the
statement1 is executed; otherwise, statement2 will be executed.

Till now, we have observed that how conditional operator checks the condition and based on
condition, it executes the statements. Now, we will see how a conditional operator is used to
assign the value to a variable.

Let's understand this scenario through an example.

1. #include <stdio.h>
2. int main()
3. {
4. int a=5,b; // variable declaration
5. b=((a==5)?(3):(2)); // conditional operator
6. printf("The value of 'b' variable is : %d",b);
7. return 0;
8. }

In the above code, we have declared two variables, i.e., 'a' and 'b', and assign 5 value to
the 'a' variable. After the declaration, we are assigning value to the 'b' variable by using the
conditional operator. If the value of 'a' is equal to 5 then 'b' is assigned with a 3 value
otherwise 2.

Output
The above output shows that the value of 'b' variable is 3 because the value of 'a' variable is
equal to 5.

As we know that the behavior of conditional operator and 'if-else' is similar but they have
some differences. Let's look at their differences.

o A conditional operator is a single programming statement, while the 'if-else'

statement is a programming block in which statements come under the parenthesis.
o A conditional operator can also be used for assigning a value to the variable,
whereas the 'if-else' statement cannot be used for the assignment purpose.
o It is not useful for executing the statements when the statements are multiple,
whereas the 'if-else' statement proves more suitable when executing multiple
statements.
o The nested ternary operator is more complex and cannot be easily debugged, while
the nested 'if-else' statement is easy to read and maintain.

Escape Sequence in C
An escape sequence in C language is a sequence of characters that doesn't represent
itself when used inside string literal or character.

It is composed of two or more characters starting with backslash \. For example: \n

represents new line.

List of Escape Sequences in C

Escape Sequence Meaning

\a Alarm or Beep

\b Backspace
 \f Form Feed

\n New Line

\r Carriage Return

\t Tab (Horizontal)

\v Vertical Tab

\\ Backslash

\' Single Quote

\" Double Quote

\? Question Mark

\nnn octal number

\xhh hexadecimal number

\0 Null

Escape Sequence Example

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. int main(){
3. int number=50;
4. printf("You\nare\nlearning\n\'c\' language\n\"Do you know C language\"");
5. return 0;
6. }

C if else Statement
The if-else statement in C is used to perform the operations based on some specific
condition. The operations specified in if block are executed if and only if the given condition
is true.
 There are the following variants of if statement in C language.

o If statement
o If-else statement
o If else-if ladder
o Nested if

If Statement
The if statement is used to check some given condition and perform some operations
depending upon the correctness of that condition. It is mostly used in the scenario where
we need to perform the different operations for the different conditions. The syntax of the if
statement is given below.

1. if(expression){
2. //code to be executed
3. }

Flowchart of if statement in C
 Let's see a simple example of C language if statement.

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. int main(){
3. int number=0;
4. printf("Enter a number:");
5. scanf("%d",&number);
6. if(number%2!=0){
7. printf("%d is even number",number);
8. }
9. else
10. {

11. }
12. return 0;
13. }

Output

Enter a number:4
4 is even number
enter a number:5

Program to find the largest number of the three.

1. #include <stdio.h>
2. int main()
3. {
4. int a, b, c;
5. printf("Enter three numbers?");
6. scanf("%d %d %d",&a,&b,&c);
7. if(a>b && a>c)
8. {
9. printf("%d is largest",a);
10. }
11. if(b>a && b > c)
12. {
13. printf("%d is largest",b);
14. }
15. if(c>a && c>b)
16. {
17. printf("%d is largest",c);
18. }
19. if(a == b && a == c)
20. {
21. printf("All are equal");
22. }
23. }

Output

Enter three numbers?

12 23 34
34 is largest

If-else Statement
The if-else statement is used to perform two operations for a single condition. The if-else
statement is an extension to the if statement using which, we can perform two different
operations, i.e., one is for the correctness of that condition, and the other is for the
incorrectness of the condition. Here, we must notice that if and else block cannot be
 executed simiulteneously. Using if-else statement is always preferable since it always
invokes an otherwise case with every if condition. The syntax of the if-else statement is
given below.

1. if(expression){
2. //code to be executed if condition is true
3. }else{
4. //code to be executed if condition is false
5. }

Flowchart of the if-else statement in C

Let's see the simple example to check whether a number is even or odd using if-else
statement in C language.

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. int main(){
3. int number=0;
4. printf("enter a number:");
5. scanf("%d",&number);
6. if(number%2==0)
7. {
8. printf("%d is even number",number);
9. }
10. else{
11. printf("%d is odd number",number);
12. }
13. return 0;
14. }

Output

enter a number:4
4 is even number
enter a number:5
5 is odd number
Program to check whether a person is eligible to vote or not.
1. #include <stdio.h>
2. int main()
3. {
4. int age;
5. printf("Enter your age?");
6. scanf("%d",&age);
7. if(age>=18)
8. {
9. printf("You are eligible to vote...");
10. }
11. else
12. {
13. printf("Sorry ... you can't vote");
14. }
15. }

Output

Enter your age?18

You are eligible to vote...
Enter your age?13
Sorry ... you can't vote
 If else-if ladder Statement
The if-else-if ladder statement is an extension to the if-else statement. It is used in the
scenario where there are multiple cases to be performed for different conditions. In if-else-if
ladder statement, if a condition is true then the statements defined in the if block will be
executed, otherwise if some other condition is true then the statements defined in the else-
if block will be executed, at the last if none of the condition is true then the statements
defined in the else block will be executed. There are multiple else-if blocks possible. It is
similar to the switch case statement where the default is executed instead of else block if
none of the cases is matched.

1. if(condition1){
2. //code to be executed if condition1 is true
3. }else if(condition2){
4. //code to be executed if condition2 is true
5. }
6. else if(condition3){
7. //code to be executed if condition3 is true
8. }
9. ...
10. else{
11. //code to be executed if all the conditions are false
12. }

Flowchart of else-if ladder statement in C

 The example of an if-else-if statement in C language is given below.

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. int main(){
3. int number=0;
4. printf("enter a number:");
5. scanf("%d",&number);
6. if(number==10){
7. printf("number is equals to 10");
8. }
9. else if(number==50){
10. printf("number is equal to 50");
11. }
12. else if(number==100){
13. printf("number is equal to 100");
14. }
else If(n!=10 ||
15. {
16. printf("number is not equal to 10, 50 or 100");
17. }
18. return 0;
19. }

Output

enter a number:4
number is not equal to 10, 50 or 100
enter a number:50
number is equal to 50
Program to calculate the grade of the student according to
the specified marks.
1. #include <stdio.h>
2. int main()
3. {
4. int marks;
5. printf("Enter your marks?");
6. scanf("%d",&marks);
7. if(marks > 85 && marks <= 100)
8. {
9. printf("Congrats ! you scored grade A ...");
10. }
11. else if (marks > 60 && marks <= 85)
12. {
13. printf("You scored grade B + ...");
14. }
15. else if (marks > 40 && marks <= 60)
16. {
17. printf("You scored grade B ...");
18. }
19. else if (marks > 30 && marks <= 40)
20. {
21. printf("You scored grade C ...");
22. }
23. else
24. {
25. printf("Sorry you are fail ...");
26. }
27. }

Output

Enter your marks?10

Sorry you are fail ...
Enter your marks?40
You scored grade C ...
Enter your marks?90
Congrats ! you scored grade A ...

C Switch Statement
The switch statement in C is an alternate to if-else-if ladder statement which allows us to
execute multiple operations for the different possibles values of a single variable called
switch variable. Here, We can define various statements in the multiple cases for the
different values of a single variable.

The syntax of switch statement in c language is given below:

1. switch(expression){
2. case value1:
3. //code to be executed;
4. break; //optional
5. case value2:
6. //code to be executed;
7. break; //optional
8. ......
9.
10. default:
11. code to be executed if all cases are not matched;
12. }

Rules for switch statement in C language

1) The switch expression must be of an integer or character type.

2) The case value must be an integer or character constant.

3) The case value can be used only inside the switch statement.

4) The break statement in switch case is not must. It is optional. If there is no break
statement found in the case, all the cases will be executed present after the matched case.
It is known as fall through the state of C switch statement.
 Let's try to understand it by the examples. We are assuming that there are following
variables.

1. int x,y,z;
2. char a,b;
3. float f;

Valid Switch Invalid Switch Valid Case Invalid Case

switch(x) switch(f) case 3; case 2.5;

switch(x>y) switch(x+2.5) case 'a'; case x;

switch(a+b-2) case 1+2; case x+2;

switch(func(x,y)) case 'x'>'y'; case 1,2,3;

Flowchart of switch statement in C

Functioning of switch case statement

First, the integer expression specified in the switch statement is evaluated. This value is
then matched one by one with the constant values given in the different cases. If a match is
found, then all the statements specified in that case are executed along with the all the
cases present after that case including the default statement. No two cases can have similar
values. If the matched case contains a break statement, then all the cases present after
that will be skipped, and the control comes out of the switch. Otherwise, all the cases
following the matched case will be executed.
 Let's see a simple example of c language switch statement.

#include<stdio.h>
int main(){
int number=0;
printf("enter a number:");
scanf("%d",&number);
switch(number){
case 10:
printf("number is equals to 10");
break;
case 50:
printf("number is equal to 50");
break;
case 100:
printf("number is equal to 100");
break;
default:
printf("number is not equal to 10, 50 or 100");
}
return 0;
}

Output

enter a number:4
number is not equal to 10, 50 or 100
enter a number:50
number is equal to 50

Switch case example 2

1. #include <stdio.h>
2. int main()
3. {
4. int x = 10, y = 5;
5. switch(x>y && x+y>0) x=2 and y=4 2>4
6. {
7. case 1:
8. printf("hi");
9. break;
10. case 0:
11. printf("bye");
12. break;
13. default:
14. printf(" Hello bye ");
15. }
16.
17. }

Output

hi
C Switch statement is fall-through

In C language, the switch statement is fall through; it means if you don't use a break
statement in the switch case, all the cases after the matching case will be executed.

Let's try to understand the fall through state of switch statement by the example given
below.

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. int main(){
3. int number=0;
4.
5. printf("enter a number:");
6. scanf("%d",&number);
7.
8. switch(number){
9. case 10:
10. printf("number is equal to 10\n");
11. case 50:
12. printf("number is equal to 50\n");
13. case 100:
14. printf("number is equal to 100\n");
15. default:
16. printf("number is not equal to 10, 50 or 100");
17. }
18. return 0;
19. }

Output

enter a number:10
number is equal to 10
number is equal to 50
number is equal to 100
 number is not equal to 10, 50 or 100

Output

enter a number:50
number is equal to 50
number is equal to 100
number is not equal to 10, 50 or 100

Nested switch case statement

We can use as many switch statement as we want inside a switch statement. Such type of
statements is called nested switch case statements. Consider the following example.

1. #include <stdio.h>
2. int main () {
3.
4. int i = 10;
5. int j = 20;
6.
7. switch(i) {
8.
9. case 10:
10. printf("the value of i evaluated in outer switch: %d\n",i);
break;
11. case 20:
12. switch(j) {
13. case 20:
14. printf("The value of j evaluated in nested switch: %d\n",j);
15. }
16. }
17.
18. printf("Exact value of i is : %d\n", i );
19. printf("Exact value of j is : %d\n", j );
20.
21. return 0;
22. }

Output

the value of i evaluated in outer switch: 10

The value of j evaluated in nested switch: 20
Exact value of i is : 10
Exact value of j is : 20

C Loops
 The looping can be defined as repeating the same process multiple times until a specific
condition satisfies. There are three types of loops used in the C language. In this part of the
tutorial, we are going to learn all the aspects of C loops.

Why use loops in C language?

The looping simplifies the complex problems into the easy ones. It enables us to alter the
flow of the program so that instead of writing the same code again and again, we can
repeat the same code for a finite number of times. For example, if we need to print the first
10 natural numbers then, instead of using the printf statement 10 times, we can print inside
a loop which runs up to 10 iterations.

Advantage of loops in C
1) It provides code reusability.

2) Using loops, we do not need to write the same code again and again.

3) Using loops, we can traverse over the elements of data structures (array or linked lists).

Types of C Loops
There are three types of loops in C language that is given below:

1. do while
2. while
3. for

do-while loop in C
The do-while loop continues until a given condition satisfies. It is also called post tested
loop. It is used when it is necessary to execute the loop at least once (mostly menu driven
programs).

1. do{
2. //code to be executed
3. }while(condition);
while loop in C
The while loop in c is to be used in the scenario where we don't know the number of
iterations in advance. The block of statements is executed in the while loop until the
condition specified in the while loop is satisfied. It is also called a pre-tested loop.

The syntax of while loop in c language is given below:

1. while(condition){
2. //code to be executed
3. }
for loop in C
The for loop is used in the case where we need to execute some part of the code until the
given condition is satisfied. The for loop is also called as a per-tested loop. It is better to use
for loop if the number of iteration is known in advance.

The syntax of for loop in c language is given below:

1. for(initialization;condition;incr/decr){
2. //code to be executed
3. }

Flowchart and Example of for loop

do while loop in C
The do while loop is a post tested loop. Using the do-while loop, we can repeat the
execution of several parts of the statements. The do-while loop is mainly used in the case
where we need to execute the loop at least once. The do-while loop is mostly used in menu-
driven programs where the termination condition depends upon the end user.

do while loop syntax

The syntax of the C language do-while loop is given below:

1. do{
2. //code to be executed
3. }while(condition);
Example 1
1. #include<stdio.h>
2. #include<stdlib.h>
3. void main ()
4. {
5. char c;
6. int choice,dummy;
7. do{
8. printf("\n1. Print Hello\n2. Print Javatpoint\n3. Exit\n");
9. scanf("%d",&choice);
10. switch(choice)
11. {
12. case 1 :
13. printf("Hello");
14. break;
15. case 2:
16. printf("Javatpoint");
17. break;
18. case 3:
19. exit(0);
20. break;
21. default:
22. printf("please enter valid choice");
23. }
24. printf("do you want to enter more?");
25. scanf("%d",&dummy);
26. scanf("%c",&c);
27. }while(c=='y');
28. }
Output
1. Print Hello
2. Print Javatpoint
3. Exit
1
Hello
do you want to enter more?
y

1. Print Hello
2. Print Javatpoint
3. Exit
2
Javatpoint
do you want to enter more?
n
 Flowchart of do while loop

do while example

There is given the simple program of c language do while loop where we are printing the
table of 1.

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. int main(){
3. int i=1;
4. do{
5. printf("%d \n",i);
6. i++;
7. }while(i<=10);
8. return 0;
9. }
Output
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
 10
Program to print table for the given number using do while loop
1. #include<stdio.h>
2. int main(){
3. int i=1,number=0;
4. printf("Enter a number: ");
5. scanf("%d",&number);
6. do{
7. printf("%d \n",(number*i));
8. i++;
9. }while(i<=10);
10. return 0;
11. }
Output
Enter a number: 5
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Enter a number: 10
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100

Infinitive do while loop

The do-while loop will run infinite times if we pass any non-zero value as the conditional
expression.

1. do{
2. //statement
3. }while(1);

while loop in C
 While loop is also known as a pre-tested loop. In general, a while loop allows a part of the
code to be executed multiple times depending upon a given boolean condition. It can be
viewed as a repeating if statement. The while loop is mostly used in the case where the
number of iterations is not known in advance.

Syntax of while loop in C language

The syntax of while loop in c language is given below:

1. while(condition){
2. //code to be executed
3. }
Flowchart of while loop in C

Example of the while loop in C language

Let's see the simple program of while loop that prints table of 1.

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. int main(){
3. int i=1;
4. while(i<=10){
5. printf("%d \n",i);
6. i++;
7. }
8. return 0;
9. }
Output
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Program to print table for the given number using while

loop in C
1. #include<stdio.h>
2. int main(){
3. int i=1,number=0,b=9;
4. printf("Enter a number: ");
5. scanf("%d",&number);
6. while(i<=10){
7. printf("%d \n",(number*i));
8. i++;
9. }
10. return 0;
11. }
Output
Enter a number: 50
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
Enter a number: 100
100
200
300
400
 500
600
700
800
900
1000

Properties of while loop

o A conditional expression is used to check the condition. The statements defined
inside the while loop will repeatedly execute until the given condition fails.
o The condition will be true if it returns 0. The condition will be false if it returns any
non-zero number.
o In while loop, the condition expression is compulsory.
o Running a while loop without a body is possible.
o We can have more than one conditional expression in while loop.
o If the loop body contains only one statement, then the braces are optional.

Example 1
1. #include<stdio.h>
2. void main ()
3. {
4. int j = 1;
5. while(j+=2,j<=10)
6. {
7. printf("%d ",j);
8. }
9. printf("%d",j);
10. }
Output
3 5 7 9 11
Example 2
1. #include<stdio.h>
2. void main ()
3. {
4. while()
5. {
6. printf("hello Javatpoint");
7. }
8. }
 Output
compile time error: while loop can't be empty
Example 3
1. #include<stdio.h>
2. void main ()
3. {
4. int x = 10, y = 2;
5. while(x+y-1)
6. {
7. printf("%d %d",x--,y--);
8. }
9. }
Output
infinite loop

Infinitive while loop in C

If the expression passed in while loop results in any non-zero value then the loop will run
the infinite number of times.

1. while(1){
2. //statement
3. }

Nested Loops in C
C supports nesting of loops in C. Nesting of loops is the feature in C that allows the
looping of statements inside another loop. Let's observe an example of nesting loops in C.

Any number of loops can be defined inside another loop, i.e., there is no restriction for
defining any number of loops. The nesting level can be defined at n times. You can define
any type of loop inside another loop; for example, you can define 'while' loop inside a 'for'
loop.

Syntax of Nested loop

1. Outer_loop
2. {
3. Inner_loop
4. {
5. // inner loop statements.
6. }
7. // outer loop statements.
8. }

Outer_loop and Inner_loop are the valid loops that can be a 'for' loop, 'while' loop or 'do-
while' loop.

Nested for loop

The nested for loop means any type of loop which is defined inside the 'for' loop.

1. for (initialization; condition; update)

2. {
3. for(initialization; condition; update)
4. {
5. // inner loop statements.
6. }
7. // outer loop statements.
8. }

Example of nested for loop

1. #include <stdio.h>
2. int main()
3. {
4. int n;// variable declaration
5. printf("Enter the value of n :");
6. // Displaying the n tables.
7. for(int i=1;i<=n;i++) // outer loop
8. {
9. for(int j=1;j<=10;j++) // inner loop
10. {
11. printf("%d\t",(i*j)); // printing the value.
12. }
13. printf("\n");
14. }

Explanation of the above code

o First, the 'i' variable is initialized to 1 and then program control passes to the i<=n.
o The program control checks whether the condition 'i<=n' is true or not.
o If the condition is true, then the program control passes to the inner loop.
o The inner loop will get executed until the condition is true.
 o After the execution of the inner loop, the control moves back to the update of the
outer loop, i.e., i++.
o After incrementing the value of the loop counter, the condition is checked again, i.e.,
i<=n.
o If the condition is true, then the inner loop will be executed again.
o This process will continue until the condition of the outer loop is true.

Output:

Nested while loop

The nested while loop means any type of loop which is defined inside the 'while' loop.

1. while(condition)
2. {
3. while(condition)
4. {
5. // inner loop statements.
6. }
7. // outer loop statements.
8. }

Example of nested while loop

1. #include <stdio.h>
2. int main()
3. {
4. int rows; // variable declaration
5. int columns; // variable declaration
6. int k=1; // variable initialization
7. printf("Enter the number of rows :"); // input the number of rows.
8. scanf("%d",&rows);
9. printf("\nEnter the number of columns :"); // input the number of columns.
10. scanf("%d",&columns);
11. int a[rows][columns]; //2d array declaration
12. int i=1;
13. while(i<=rows) // outer loop
14. {
15. int j=1;
16. while(j<=columns) // inner loop
17. {
18. printf("%d\t",k); // printing the value of k.
19. k++; // increment counter
20. j++;
21. }
22. i++;
23. printf("\n");
24. }
25. }

Explanation of the above code.

o We have created the 2d array, i.e., int a[rows][columns].

o The program initializes the 'i' variable by 1.
o Now, control moves to the while loop, and this loop checks whether the condition is
true, then the program control moves to the inner loop.
o After the execution of the inner loop, the control moves to the update of the outer
loop, i.e., i++.
o After incrementing the value of 'i', the condition (i<=rows) is checked.
o If the condition is true, the control then again moves to the inner loop.
o This process continues until the condition of the outer loop is true.

Output:
 Nested do..while loop

The nested do..while loop means any type of loop which is defined inside the 'do..while'
loop.

1. do
2. {
3. do
4. {
5. // inner loop statements.
6. }while(condition);
7. // outer loop statements.
8. }while(condition);

Example of nested do..while loop.

1. #include <stdio.h>
2. int main()
3. {
4. /*printing the pattern
5. ********
6. ********
7. ********
8. ******** */
9. int i=1;
10. do // outer loop
11. {
12. int j=1;
13. do // inner loop
14. {
15. printf("*");
16. j++;
17. }while(j<=8);
18. printf("\n");
19. i++;
20. }while(i<=4);
21. }

Output:

Explanation of the above code.

o First, we initialize the outer loop counter variable, i.e., 'i' by 1.

o As we know that the do..while loop executes once without checking the condition, so
the inner loop is executed without checking the condition in the outer loop.
o After the execution of the inner loop, the control moves to the update of the i++.
o When the loop counter value is incremented, the condition is checked. If the
condition in the outer loop is true, then the inner loop is executed.
o This process will continue until the condition in the outer loop is true.

C break statement
The break is a keyword in C which is used to bring the program control out of the loop. The
break statement is used inside loops or switch statement. The break statement breaks the
loop one by one, i.e., in the case of nested loops, it breaks the inner loop first and then
proceeds to outer loops. The break statement in C can be used in the following two
scenarios:

1. With switch case

 2. With loop

Syntax:
1. //loop or switch case
2. break;
Flowchart of break in c

Example
1. #include<stdio.h>
2. #include<stdlib.h>
3. void main ()
4. {
5. int i;
6. for(i = 0; i<10; i++)
7. {
8. printf("%d ",i);
9. if(i == 5)
10. break;
11. }
12. printf("came outside of loop i = %d",i);
13.
14. }

Output
 0 1 2 3 4 5 came outside of loop i = 5

Example of C break statement with switch case

Click here to see the example of C break with the switch statement.

C break statement with the nested loop

In such case, it breaks only the inner loop, but not outer loop.

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. int main(){
3. int i=1,j=1;//initializing a local variable
4. for(i=1;i<=3;i++){
5. for(j=1;j<=3;j++){
6. printf("%d &d\n",i,j);
7. if(i==2 && j==2){
8. break;//will break loop of j only
9. }
10. }//end of for loop
11. return 0;
12. }

Output

1 1
1 2
1 3
2 1
2 2
3 1
3 2
3 3

As you can see the output on the console, 2 3 is not printed because there is a break
statement after printing i==2 and j==2. But 3 1, 3 2 and 3 3 are printed because the break
statement is used to break the inner loop only.

break statement with while loop

Consider the following example to use break statement inside while loop.

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. void main ()
3. {
4. int i = 0;
5. while(1)
6. {
7. printf("%d ",i);
8. i++;
9. if(i == 10)
10. break;
11. }
12. printf("came out of while loop");
13. }

Output

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 came out of while loop

break statement with do-while loop

Consider the following example to use the break statement with a do-while loop.

#include<stdio.h>
void main ()
{
int n=2,i,choice;
do
{
i=1;
while(i<=10)
{
printf("%d X %d = %d\n",n,i,n*i);
i++;
}
printf("do you want to continue with the table of %d , enter any non-
zero value to continue.",n+1);
scanf("%d",&choice);
if(choice == 0)
{
break;
}
n++;
}while(1);
}

Output
 2 X 1 = 2
2 X 2 = 4
2 X 3 = 6
2 X 4 = 8
2 X 5 = 10
2 X 6 = 12
2 X 7 = 14
2 X 8 = 16
2 X 9 = 18
2 X 10 = 20
do you want to continue with the table of 3 , enter any non-zero value to
continue.1
3 X 1 = 3
3 X 2 = 6
3 X 3 = 9
3 X 4 = 12
3 X 5 = 15
3 X 6 = 18
3 X 7 = 21
3 X 8 = 24
3 X 9 = 27
3 X 10 = 30
do you want to continue with the table of 4 , enter any non-zero value to
continue.0

C continue statement
The continue statement in C language is used to bring the program control to the
beginning of the loop. The continue statement skips some lines of code inside the loop and
continues with the next iteration. It is mainly used for a condition so that we can skip some
code for a particular condition.

Syntax:
1. //loop statements
2. continue;
3. //some lines of the code which is to be skipped

Continue statement example 1

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. void main ()
3. {
4. int i = 0;
5. while(i!=10)
6. {
7. printf("%d", i);
8. continue;
9. i++;
10. }
11. }

Output

infinite loop

Continue statement example 2

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. int main(){
3. int i=1;//initializing a local variable
4. //starting a loop from 1 to 10
5. for(i=1;i<=10;i++){
6. if(i==5){//if value of i is equal to 5, it will continue the loop
7. continue;
8. }
9. printf("%d \n",i);
10. }//end of for loop
11. return 0;
12. }

Output

1
2
3
4
6
7
8
9
10

As you can see, 5 is not printed on the console because loop is continued at i==5.

C continue statement with inner loop

In such case, C continue statement continues only inner loop, but not outer loop.

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. int main(){
3. int i=1,j=1;//initializing a local variable
4. for(i=1;i<=3;i++){
5. for(j=1;j<=3;j++){
6. if(i==2 && j==2){
7. continue;//will continue loop of j only
8. }
9. printf("%d %d\n",i,j);
10. }
11. }//end of for loop
12. return 0;
13. }

Output

1 1
1 2
1 3
2 1
2 3
3 1
3 2
3 3

As you can see, 2 2 is not printed on the console because inner loop is continued at i==2
and j==2.

C goto statement
The goto statement is known as jump statement in C. As the name suggests, goto is used
to transfer the program control to a predefined label. The goto statment can be used to
repeat some part of the code for a particular condition. It can also be used to break the
multiple loops which can't be done by using a single break statement. However, using goto
is avoided these days since it makes the program less readable and complecated.

Syntax:

1. label:
2. //some part of the code;
3. goto label;

goto example
Let's see a simple example to use goto statement in C language.

1. #include <stdio.h>
2. int main()
3. {
4. int num,i=1;
5. printf("Enter the number whose table you want to print?");
6. scanf("%d",&num);
7. table:
8. printf("%d x %d = %d\n",num,i,num*i);
9. i++;
10. if(i<=10)
11. goto table;
12. }

Output:

Enter the number whose table you want to print?10

10 x 1 = 10
10 x 2 = 20
10 x 3 = 30
10 x 4 = 40
10 x 5 = 50
10 x 6 = 60
10 x 7 = 70
10 x 8 = 80
10 x 9 = 90
10 x 10 = 100

When should we use goto?

The only condition in which using goto is preferable is when we need to break the multiple
loops using a single statement at the same time. Consider the following example.

1. #include <stdio.h>
2. int main()
3. {
4. int i, j, k;
5. for(i=0;i<10;i++)
6. {
7. for(j=0;j<5;j++)
8. {
9. for(k=0;k<3;k++)
10. {
11. printf("%d %d %d\n",i,j,k);
12. if(j == 3)
13. {
14. goto out;
15. }
16. }
17. }
18. }
19. out:
20. printf("came out of the loop");
21. }
0 0 0
0 0 1
0 0 2
0 1 0
0 1 1
0 1 2
0 2 0
0 2 1
0 2 2
0 3 0
came out of the loop

Type Casting in C
Typecasting allows us to convert one data type into other. In C language, we use cast
operator for typecasting which is denoted by (type).

Syntax:

1. (type)value;
Note: It is always recommended to convert the lower value to higher for avoiding
data loss.

Without Type Casting:

1. int f= 9/4;
2. printf("f : %d\n", f );//Output: 2

With Type Casting:

1. float f=(float) 9/4;

2. printf("f : %f\n", f );//Output: 2.250000

Type Casting example

Let's see a simple example to cast int value into the float.

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. int main(){
3. float f= (float)9/4;
4. printf("f : %f\n", f );
5. return 0;
6. }

Output:

f : 2.250000

C Functions
In c, we can divide a large program into the basic building blocks known as function. The
function contains the set of programming statements enclosed by {}. A function can be
called multiple times to provide reusability and modularity to the C program. In other
words, we can say that the collection of functions creates a program. The function is also
known as procedureor subroutinein other programming languages.

Advantage of functions in C
There are the following advantages of C functions.

o By using functions, we can avoid rewriting same logic/code again and again in a
program.
o We can call C functions any number of times in a program and from any place in a
program.
o We can track a large C program easily when it is divided into multiple functions.
o Reusability is the main achievement of C functions.
o However, Function calling is always a overhead in a C program.

Function Aspects
There are three aspects of a C function.

o Function declaration A function must be declared globally in a c program to tell the

compiler about the function name, function parameters, and return type.

o Function call Function can be called from anywhere in the program. The parameter
list must not differ in function calling and function declaration. We must pass the
same number of functions as it is declared in the function declaration.
 o Function definition It contains the actual statements which are to be executed. It
is the most important aspect to which the control comes when the function is called.
Here, we must notice that only one value can be returned from the function.

SN C function aspects Syntax

1 Function declaration return_type function_name (argument list);

2 Function call function_name (argument_list)

3 Function definition return_type function_name (argument list) {function body;}

The syntax of creating function in c language is given below:

1. return_type function_name(data_type parameter...){

2. //code to be executed
3. }

Types of Functions
There are two types of functions in C programming:

1. Library Functions: are the functions which are declared in the C header files such
as scanf(), printf(), gets(), puts(), ceil(), floor() etc.
2. User-defined functions: are the functions which are created by the C programmer,
so that he/she can use it many times. It reduces the complexity of a big program
and optimizes the code.
 Return Value
A C function may or may not return a value from the function. If you don't have to return
any value from the function, use void for the return type.

Let's see a simple example of C function that doesn't return any value from the function.

Example without return value:

1. void hello(){
2. printf("hello c");
3. }

If you want to return any value from the function, you need to use any data type such as
int, long, char, etc. The return type depends on the value to be returned from the function.

Let's see a simple example of C function that returns int value from the function.

Example with return value:

1. int get(){
2. return 10;
3. }

In the above example, we have to return 10 as a value, so the return type is int. If you
want to return floating-point value (e.g., 10.2, 3.1, 54.5, etc), you need to use float as the
return type of the method.

1. float get(){
2. return 10.2;
3. }

Now, you need to call the function, to get the value of the function.

Different aspects of function calling

A function may or may not accept any argument. It may or may not return any value.
Based on these facts, There are four different aspects of function calls.

o function without arguments and without return value

o function without arguments and with return value
o function with arguments and without return value
o function with arguments and with return value
 Example for Function without argument and return value
Example 1

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. void printName();
3. void main ()
4. {
5. printf("Hello ");
6. printName();
7. }
8. void printName()
9. {
10. printf("atlanta");
11. }

Output

Hello atlanta

Example 2

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. void sum();
3. void main()
4. {
5. printf("\nGoing to calculate the sum of two numbers:");
6. sum();
7. }
8. void sum()
9. {
10. int a,b;
11. printf("\nEnter two numbers");
12. scanf("%d %d",&a,&b);
13. printf("The sum is %d",a+b);
14. }

Output

Going to calculate the sum of two numbers:

Enter two numbers 10

24
 The sum is 34

Example for Function without argument and with return value

Example 1

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. int sum();
3. void main()
4. {
5. int result;
6. printf("\nGoing to calculate the sum of two numbers:");
7. result = sum();
8. printf("%d",result);
9. }
10. int sum()
11. {
12. int a,b;
13. printf("\nEnter two numbers");
14. scanf("%d %d",&a,&b);
15. return a+b;
16. }

Output

Going to calculate the sum of two numbers:

Enter two numbers 10

24

The sum is 34

Example 2: program to calculate the area of the square

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. int sum();
3. void main()
4. {
5. printf("Going to calculate the area of the square\n");
6. float area = square();
7. printf("The area of the square: %f\n",area);
8. }
9. int square()
10. {
11. float side;
12. printf("Enter the length of the side in meters: ");
13. scanf("%f",&side);
14. return side * side;
15. }

Output

Going to calculate the area of the square

Enter the length of the side in meters: 10
The area of the square: 100.000000

Example for Function with argument and without return value

Example 1

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. void sum(int, int);
3. void main()
4. {
5. int a,b,result;
6. printf("\nGoing to calculate the sum of two numbers:");
7. printf("\nEnter two numbers:");
8. scanf("%d %d",&a,&b);
9. sum(a,b);
10. }
11. void sum(int a, int b)
12. {
13. printf("\nThe sum is %d",a+b);
14. }

Output

Going to calculate the sum of two numbers:

Enter two numbers 10

24

The sum is 34

Example 2: program to calculate the average of five numbers.

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. void average(int, int, int, int, int);
3. void main()
4. {
5. int a,b,c,d,e;
6. printf("\nGoing to calculate the average of five numbers:");
7. printf("\nEnter five numbers:");
8. scanf("%d %d %d %d %d",&a,&b,&c,&d,&e);
9. average(a,b,c,d,e);
10. }
11. void average(int a, int b, int c, int d, int e)
12. {
13. float avg;
14. avg = (a+b+c+d+e)/5;
15. printf("The average of given five numbers : %f",avg);
16. }

Output

Going to calculate the average of five numbers:

Enter five numbers:10
20
30
40
50
The average of given five numbers : 30.000000

Example for Function with argument and with return value

Example 1

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. int sum(int, int);
3. void main()
4. {
5. int a,b,result;
6. printf("\nGoing to calculate the sum of two numbers:");
7. printf("\nEnter two numbers:");
8. scanf("%d %d",&a,&b);
9. result = sum(a,b);
10. printf("\nThe sum is : %d",result);
11. }
12. int sum(int a, int b)
13. {
14. return a+b;
15. }

Output

Going to calculate the sum of two numbers:

 Enter two numbers:10
20
The sum is : 30

Example 2: Program to check whether a number is even or odd

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. int even_odd(int);
3. void main()
4. {
5. int n,flag=0;
6. printf("\nGoing to check whether a number is even or odd");
7. printf("\nEnter the number: ");
8. scanf("%d",&n);
9. flag = even_odd(n);
10. if(flag == 0)
11. {
12. printf("\nThe number is odd");

13. }
14. else
15. {
16. printf("\nThe number is even");
17. }
18. n=8;
19. }
20. int even_odd(int n)
21. {
22. n=6;
23. if(n%2 == 0)
24. {
25. return 1;
26. }
27. else
28. {
29. return 0;
30. }
31. }

Output

Going to check whether a number is even or odd

Enter the number: 100
The number is even

C Library Functions
Library functions are the inbuilt function in C that are grouped and placed at a common
place called the library. Such functions are used to perform some specific operations. For
example, printf is a library function used to print on the console. The library functions are
created by the designers of compilers. All C standard library functions are defined inside the
different header files saved with the extension .h. We need to include these header files in
our program to make use of the library functions defined in such header files. For example,
To use the library functions such as printf/scanf we need to include stdio.h in our program
which is a header file that contains all the library functions regarding standard input/output.

The list of mostly used header files is given in the following table.

SN Header Description
file

1 stdio.h This is a standard input/output header file. It contains all the library
functions regarding standard input/output.

2 conio.h This is a console input/output header file.

3 string.h It contains all string related library functions like gets(), puts(),etc.

4 stdlib.h This header file contains all the general library functions like malloc(),
calloc(), exit(), etc.

5 math.h This header file contains all the math operations related functions like
sqrt(), pow(), etc.

6 time.h This header file contains all the time-related functions.

7 ctype.h This header file contains all character handling functions.

8 stdarg.h Variable argument functions are defined in this header file.

 9 signal.h All the signal handling functions are defined in this header file.

10 setjmp.h This file contains all the jump functions.

11 locale.h This file contains locale functions.

12 errno.h This file contains error handling functions.

13 assert.h This file contains diagnostics functions.

Call by value and Call by reference in C

There are two methods to pass the data into the function in C language, i.e., call by
value and call by reference.

Let's understand call by value and call by reference in c language one by one.

Call by value in C
o In call by value method, the value of the actual parameters is copied into the formal
parameters. In other words, we can say that the value of the variable is used in the
function call in the call by value method.
 o In call by value method, we can not modify the value of the actual parameter by the
formal parameter.
o In call by value, different memory is allocated for actual and formal parameters since
the value of the actual parameter is copied into the formal parameter.
o The actual parameter is the argument which is used in the function call whereas
formal parameter is the argument which is used in the function definition.

Let's try to understand the concept of call by value in c language by the example given
below:

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. void change(int num) {
3. printf("Before adding value inside function num=%d \n",num);
4. num=num+100;
5. printf("After adding value inside function num=%d \n", num);
6. }
7. int main() {
8. int x=100;
9. printf("Before function call x=%d \n", x);
10. change(x);//passing value in function
11. printf("After function call x=%d \n", x);
12. return 0;
13. }
14.
Output
Before function call x=100
Before adding value inside function num=100
After adding value inside function num=200
After function call x=100

Call by Value Example: Swapping the values of the two variables

1. #include <stdio.h>
2. void swap(int , int); //prototype of the function
3. int main()
4. {
5. int a = 10;
6. int b = 20;
7. printf("Before swapping the values in main a = %d, b = %d\n",a,b); // printing the value
of a and b in main
8. swap(a,b);
9. printf("After swapping values in main a = %d, b = %d\n",a,b); // The value of actual par
ameters do not change by changing the formal parameters in call by value, a = 10, b = 20
10. }
11. void swap (int a, int b)
12. {
13. int temp;
14. temp = a;
15. a=b;
16. b=temp;
17. printf("After swapping values in function a = %d, b = %d\n",a,b); // Formal parameters,
a = 20, b = 10
18. }
Output
Before swapping the values in main a = 10, b = 20
After swapping values in function a = 20, b = 10
After swapping values in main a = 10, b = 20

Call by reference in C
o In call by reference, the address of the variable is passed into the function call as the
actual parameter.
o The value of the actual parameters can be modified by changing the formal
parameters since the address of the actual parameters is passed.
o In call by reference, the memory allocation is similar for both formal parameters and
actual parameters. All the operations in the function are performed on the value
stored at the address of the actual parameters, and the modified value gets stored at
the same address.

Consider the following example for the call by reference.

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. void change(int *num) {
3. printf("Before adding value inside function num=%d \n",*num);
4. (*num) += 100; *num=*num+100;
5. printf("After adding value inside function num=%d \n", *num);
6. }
7. int main() {
8. int x=100;
9. printf("Before function call x=%d \n", x);
10. change(&x);//passing reference in function
11. printf("After function call x=%d \n", x);
12. return 0;
13. }
Output
Before function call x=100
Before adding value inside function num=100
After adding value inside function num=200
After function call x=200
Call by reference Example: Swapping the values of the two variables
1. #include <stdio.h>
2. void swap(int *, int *); //prototype of the function
3. int main()
4. {
5. int a = 10;
6. int b = 20;
7. printf("Before swapping the values in main a = %d, b = %d\n",a,b); // printing the value
of a and b in main
8. swap(&a,&b);
9. printf("After swapping values in main a = %d, b = %d\n",a,b); // The values of actual pa
rameters do change in call by reference, a = 10, b = 20
10. }
11. void swap (int *a, int *b)
12. {
13. int temp;
14. temp = *a;
15. *a=*b;
16. *b=temp;
17. printf("After swapping values in function a = %d, b = %d\n",*a,*b); // Formal paramete
rs, a = 20, b = 10
18. }
Output
Before swapping the values in main a = 10, b = 20
After swapping values in function a = 20, b = 10
After swapping values in main a = 20, b = 10

Difference between call by value and call by reference

in c

No. Call by value Call by reference

 1 A copy of the value is passed into the An address of value is passed into the
function function

2 Changes made inside the function is Changes made inside the function
limited to the function only. The values validate outside of the function also. The
of the actual parameters do not change values of the actual parameters do
by changing the formal parameters. change by changing the formal
parameters.

3 Actual and formal arguments are created Actual and formal arguments are created
at the different memory location at the same memory location

Recursion in C
Recursion is the process which comes into existence when a function calls a copy of itself to
work on a smaller problem. Any function which calls itself is called recursive function, and
such function calls are called recursive calls. Recursion involves several numbers of
recursive calls. However, it is important to impose a termination condition of recursion.
Recursion code is shorter than iterative code however it is difficult to understand.

Recursion cannot be applied to all the problem, but it is more useful for the tasks that can
be defined in terms of similar subtasks. For Example, recursion may be applied to sorting,
searching, and traversal problems.

Generally, iterative solutions are more efficient than recursion since function call is always
overhead. Any problem that can be solved recursively, can also be solved iteratively.
However, some problems are best suited to be solved by the recursion, for example, tower
of Hanoi, Fibonacci series, factorial finding, etc.

In the following example, recursion is used to calculate the factorial of a number.

1. #include <stdio.h>
2. int fact (int);
3. int main()
4. {
5. int n,f;
6. printf("Enter the number whose factorial you want to calculate?");
7. scanf("%d",&n);
8. f = fact(n);
9. printf("factorial = %d",f);
10. }
11. int fact(int n)
12. {
13. if (n==0)
14. {
15. return 0;
16. }
17. else if ( n == 1)
18. {
19. return 1;
20. }
21. else
22. {
23. return n*fact(n-1);
24. }
25. }
Output
Enter the number whose factorial you want to calculate?5
factorial = 120

We can understand the above program of the recursive method call by the figure given
below:

Recursive Function
 A recursive function performs the tasks by dividing it into the subtasks. There is a
termination condition defined in the function which is satisfied by some specific subtask.
After this, the recursion stops and the final result is returned from the function.

The case at which the function doesn't recur is called the base case whereas the instances
where the function keeps calling itself to perform a subtask, is called the recursive case. All
the recursive functions can be written using this format.

Pseudocode for writing any recursive function is given below.

1. if (test_for_base)
2. {
3. return some_value;
4. }
5. else if (test_for_another_base)
6. {
7. return some_another_value;
8. }
9. else
10. {
11. // Statements;
12. recursive call;
13. }

Example of recursion in C
Let's see an example to find the nth term of the Fibonacci series.

1. #include<stdio.h>
2. int fibonacci(int);
3. void main ()
4. {
5. int n,f;
6. printf("Enter the value of n?");
7. scanf("%d",&n);
8. f = fibonacci(n);
9. printf("%d",f);
10. }
11. int fibonacci (int n)
12. {
13. if (n==0)
14. {
15. return 0;
16. }
17. else if (n == 1)
18. {
19. return 1;
20. }
21. else
22. {
23. return fibonacci(n-1)+fibonacci(n-2);
24. }
25. }
Output
Enter the value of n?12
144

Memory allocation of Recursive method

Each recursive call creates a new copy of that method in the memory. Once some data is
returned by the method, the copy is removed from the memory. Since all the variables and
other stuff declared inside function get stored in the stack, therefore a separate stack is
maintained at each recursive call. Once the value is returned from the corresponding
function, the stack gets destroyed. Recursion involves so much complexity in resolving and
tracking the values at each recursive call. Therefore we need to maintain the stack and
track the values of the variables defined in the stack.

Let us consider the following example to understand the memory allocation of the recursive
functions.

1. int display (int n)

2. {
3. if(n == 0)
4. return 0; // terminating condition
5. else
6. {
7. printf("%d",n);
8. return display(n-1); // recursive call
9. }
10. }

Explanation

Let us examine this recursive function for n = 4. First, all the stacks are maintained which
prints the corresponding value of n until n becomes 0, Once the termination condition is
reached, the stacks get destroyed one by one by returning 0 to its calling stack. Consider
the following image for more information regarding the stack trace for the recursive
functions.