Complete C Functions Reference Guide
Input/Output Functions (<stdio.h>)
Input Functions
int scanf(const char *format, ...)
• Return: Number of inputs successfully read or EOF on error
• Description: Reads formatted input from stdin
• Example: scanf("%d %s", &num, str);
int getchar(void)
• Return: Character read as int, or EOF on error
• Description: Reads single character from stdin
• Example: ch = getchar();
char *gets(char *str)
• Return: str on success, NULL on error
• Description: Reads line from stdin (deprecated, unsafe)
• Example: gets(str);
char *fgets(char *str, int n, FILE *stream)
• Return: str on success, NULL on error
• Description: Safely reads n-1 characters or until newline
• Example: fgets(str, 100, stdin);
Output Functions
int printf(const char *format, ...)
• Return: Number of characters printed or negative value on error
• Description: Prints formatted output to stdout
• Example: printf("Value: %d", num);
int putchar(int char)
• Return: Character written as int, or EOF on error
• Description: Writes single character to stdout
• Example: putchar('A');
int puts(const char *str)
• Return: Non-negative on success, EOF on error
• Description: Writes string and newline to stdout
• Example: puts("Hello");
String Functions (<string.h>)
size_t strlen(const char *str)
1
• Return: Length of string
• Description: Calculates string length excluding null terminator
• Example: len = strlen(str);
char *strcpy(char *dest, const char *src)
• Return: Pointer to dest string
• Description: Copies src string to dest
• Example: strcpy(dest, src);
char *strncpy(char *dest, const char *src, size_t n)
• Return: Pointer to dest string
• Description: Copies up to n characters from src to dest
• Example: strncpy(dest, src, 5);
char *strcat(char *dest, const char *src)
• Return: Pointer to dest string
• Description: Concatenates src to end of dest
• Example: strcat(dest, src);
int strcmp(const char *str1, const char *str2)
• Return: 0 if equal, <0 if str1<str2, >0 if str1>str2
• Description: Compares two strings
• Example: if(strcmp(str1, str2) == 0)
char *strchr(const char *str, int c)
• Return: Pointer to first occurrence of c, NULL if not found
• Description: Finds first occurrence of character in string
• Example: ptr = strchr(str, 'a');
char *strstr(const char *haystack, const char *needle)
• Return: Pointer to first occurrence of needle, NULL if not found
• Description: Finds first occurrence of substring
• Example: ptr = strstr(str, "hello");
Math Functions (<math.h>)
double sqrt(double x)
• Return: Square root of x
• Description: Calculates square root
• Example: result = sqrt(16.0);
double pow(double x, double y)
• Return: x raised to power y
• Description: Calculates power
• Example: result = pow(2.0, 3.0);
2
double ceil(double x)
• Return: Smallest integer value greater than or equal to x
• Description: Rounds up to nearest integer
• Example: result = ceil(3.7);
double floor(double x)
• Return: Largest integer value less than or equal to x
• Description: Rounds down to nearest integer
• Example: result = floor(3.7);
double fabs(double x)
• Return: Absolute value of x
• Description: Calculates absolute value
• Example: result = fabs(-5.5);
Character Functions (<ctype.h>)
int isalpha(int c)
• Return: Non-zero if c is alphabetic, 0 otherwise
• Description: Checks if character is alphabetic
• Example: if(isalpha('A'))
int isdigit(int c)
• Return: Non-zero if c is digit, 0 otherwise
• Description: Checks if character is digit
• Example: if(isdigit('5'))
int isalnum(int c)
• Return: Non-zero if c is alphanumeric, 0 otherwise
• Description: Checks if character is alphanumeric
• Example: if(isalnum('A'))
int tolower(int c)
• Return: Lowercase equivalent of c
• Description: Converts character to lowercase
• Example: ch = tolower('A');
int toupper(int c)
• Return: Uppercase equivalent of c
• Description: Converts character to uppercase
• Example: ch = toupper('a');
Memory Functions (<stdlib.h>)
void *malloc(size_t size)
3
• Return: Pointer to allocated memory, NULL on failure
• Description: Allocates specified bytes of memory
• Example: ptr = malloc(sizeof(int) * n);
void *calloc(size_t num, size_t size)
• Return: Pointer to allocated memory, NULL on failure
• Description: Allocates and zeroes specified memory
• Example: ptr = calloc(n, sizeof(int));
void *realloc(void *ptr, size_t size)
• Return: Pointer to reallocated memory, NULL on failure
• Description: Reallocates memory block
• Example: ptr = realloc(ptr, new_size);
void free(void *ptr)
• Return: void
• Description: Frees allocated memory
• Example: free(ptr);
Conversion Functions (<stdlib.h>)
int atoi(const char *str)
• Return: Integer value of string
• Description: Converts string to integer
• Example: num = atoi("123");
long atol(const char *str)
• Return: Long value of string
• Description: Converts string to long
• Example: num = atol("123456");
double atof(const char *str)
• Return: Double value of string
• Description: Converts string to double
• Example: num = atof("123.456");
File Operations (<stdio.h>)
FILE *fopen(const char *filename, const char *mode)
• Return: File pointer on success, NULL on failure
• Description: Opens file in specified mode
• Example: fp = fopen("file.txt", "r");
int fclose(FILE *stream)
• Return: 0 on success, EOF on failure
4
• Description: Closes file stream
• Example: fclose(fp);
size_t fread(void *ptr, size_t size, size_t count, FILE *stream)
• Return: Number of elements successfully read
• Description: Reads data from file
• Example: fread(buffer, sizeof(char), 100, fp);
size_t fwrite(const void *ptr, size_t size, size_t count, FILE *stream)
• Return: Number of elements successfully written
• Description: Writes data to file
• Example: fwrite(buffer, sizeof(char), 100, fp);
Time Functions (<time.h>)
time_t time(time_t *timer)
• Return: Current calendar time
• Description: Gets current time
• Example: current_time = time(NULL);
struct tm *localtime(const time_t *timer)
• Return: Pointer to tm structure
• Description: Converts time_t to local time
• Example: timeinfo = localtime(¤t_time);
Random Number Functions (<stdlib.h>)
void srand(unsigned int seed)
• Return: void
• Description: Seeds random number generator
• Example: srand(time(NULL));
int rand(void)
• Return: Random integer between 0 and RAND_MAX
• Description: Generates random number
• Example: num = rand();
System Functions (<stdlib.h>)
void exit(int status)
• Return: Does not return
• Description: Terminates program
• Example: exit(0);
int system(const char *command)
5
• Return: Command’s exit status
• Description: Executes system command
• Example: system("ls");
