Programming in C - Summary
The document "Programming in C" provides a comprehensive overview of programming in the C
language. Below is a summarized version highlighting key topics that could be important for exams:
Main Topics Covered:
1. Introduction to C:
- Developed in 1972 at AT&T's Bell Labs by Dennis Ritchie.
- Designed for UNIX systems, later adapted for other operating systems.
- Known for speed, simplicity, and versatility.
2. Structure of a C Program:
- Components: Comments, Preprocessor Directives, Global Declarations, main() function,
User-defined functions.
- Syntax and compilation process.
3. Fundamentals of C:
- Character Set: Alphabets, digits, and special symbols.
- Identifiers: Naming variables, arrays, functions, rules for valid identifiers.
- Keywords: Reserved words like int, float, return.
- Data Types: int, float, char, void, and derived types like arrays, structures, and pointers.
- Constants and Variables: Immutable values and data holders.
- Operators: Arithmetic, relational, logical, bitwise, and conditional operators.
4. Control Structures:
- Decision-making (if, else, switch).
- Loops (for, while, do-while).
- Special statements: break, continue, goto.
5. Functions:
- Library vs. User-defined functions.
- Declaration, definition, and calling of functions.
- Categories: With/without arguments, with/without return values.
- Call by value vs. call by reference.
6. Arrays and Strings:
- Single-dimensional and multi-dimensional arrays.
- String initialization and manipulation.
- String library functions like strlen(), strcmp(), strcpy(), strcat().
7. Pointers:
- Pointer basics and arithmetic.
- Pointers to pointers, functions, and structures.
- Dynamic memory allocation.
8. File Handling:
- File operations: Opening, closing, reading, and writing.
- Modes and handling file pointers.
9. Advanced Topics:
- Structures and Unions: Definitions, initialization, and nesting.
- Recursion: Functions calling themselves.
This syllabus and notes focus on essential concepts and examples that are likely to be part of
exams, particularly emphasizing programming syntax, logic, and practical usage in C.