PROGRAMMING

CONCEPTS
CS 8104
COURSE CONTENT
 Programming language overview

 Introduction to C Programming

 General C program

 Data Types and Variables

 Operators and Expressions

COURSE CONTENT
Cont..
 Control Flow Statements

 Functions
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE
OVERVIEW
 What is programming language?

It is a formal language that is used to

communicate instructions to a computer.

 Programming languages can be divided into

three groups:
 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE
OVERVIEW
Cont..

Machine language - This is the language that

machines can understand directly, as it uses

only zeros and ones (binary).
Low-level language - These languages are

closer to machine language and use

mnemonics to represent machine instructions.
E.g. Assembly language
 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE
OVERVIEW
Cont...

High level language - These languages are

closer to the way people communicate. They

are portable and make the process of writing,
reading, and modifying programs much easier.
E.g. C++, Pascal, Python, Java, C#, Visual
Basic, JavaScript, Ruby, Perl, PHP, GO, Rust,
Swift, Kotlin, SQL etc.
 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE
OVERVIEW
 Why should a student taking civil engineering learn

programming?
Enhanced Problem-Solving Skills

oProgramming fosters critical thinking and

problem-solving abilities. By learning to code,
students can break down complex engineering
problems into manageable parts, allowing them to
 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE
OVERVIEW
Automation of Repetitive Tasks:

oMany tasks such as calculations, data analysis,

and report generation, can be repetitive.

Programming allows students to automate these
tasks, saving time and reducing the likelihood of
human error. This efficiency is crucial in
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE
OVERVIEW
Data Analysis and Visualization

oCivil engineers often work with vast amounts

of data, including soil test results, traffic

patterns, and environmental impact
assessments. Programming will equip you
with the skills to analyze and visualize this
data effectively, leading to better decision-
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE
OVERVIEW
Integration with Advanced Technologies

oThe construction industry is increasingly

adopting advanced technologies such as
Building Information Modeling (BIM),
Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and
Finite Element Analysis (FEA).
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE
OVERVIEW
Cont..
oProficiency in programming allows you to

leverage these tools, customize applications,

and enhance their functionality through
scripting or developing plugins.
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE
OVERVIEW
Computational Design and Simulation:

oProgramming is essential for conducting

simulations that predict how structures will
behave under various conditions. For
instance, finite element methods used in
structural analysis require coding knowledge
to set up simulations and interpret results
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE OVERVIEW

Career Competitiveness:

oAs the demand for tech-savvy professionals

grows in the civil engineering sector,

programming skills become a significant
asset. Employers increasingly seek
candidates who can integrate traditional
engineering principles with modern
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE OVERVIEW

Supporting Sustainable Practices:

oProgramming can aid in modeling

environmental impacts and optimizing
designs for sustainability. By simulating
different scenarios, civil engineers can make
informed decisions that minimize ecological
footprints.
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE OVERVIEW

Collaboration Across Disciplines:

oCivil engineering projects often involve

collaboration with professionals from various
fields such as architecture, environmental
science, and urban planning.
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE OVERVIEW

Cont..
oProgramming skills enable civil engineers to

communicate more effectively with these

professionals by understanding and
integrating different technological tools and
methodologies.
INTRODUCTION TO C
PROGRAMMING
 This section covers the following items;

The history of the language

Features of the language

Applications of the language

INTRODUCTION TO C
PROGRAMMING
 What is C programming language?

Is a general-purpose, procedural, and mid-

level programming language that provides

low-level access to system memory
 HISTORY OF C LANGUAGE:
 The C Language was developed by Dennis
Ritchie for creating system applications that
directly interact with the hardware devices such
as drivers, kernels, etc.

 FEATURES OF C LANGUAGE:

Simple and Efficient: C is a simple language

that is easy to learn and use. It is also efficient

FEATURES OF C LANGUAGE
 Portable: C programs are machine-
independent, which means that they can be
run on different machines with little or no
machine-specific changes.

 Structured Programming Language: It allows

programmers to break a program into parts

using functions.
 FEATURES OF C LANGUAGE
 Mid-Level Programming Language: It provides low-

level access to the computer hardware while being

easy to use, portable, and supporting all other
features of a high-level language.

 Rich Standard Library: C provides a rich set of

library functions and data types that make

development fast and efficient.
 APPLICATIONS OF THE
LANGUAGE
 Operating Systems

 Language Compilers

 Assemblers

 Text Editors

 Print Spoolers
 APPLICATIONS OF THE
LANGUAGE
 Network Drivers

 Modern Programs

 Databases

 Language Interpreters

 Utilities
GENERAL C PROGRAM
 A C program generally consists of the following

components;
Preprocessor Commands

Functions

Variables

Statements & Expressions

Comments
A C PROGRAM GENERALLY
CONSISTS OF THE
FOLLOWING COMPONENTS
#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
/* my first program in C */
printf("Hello, World! \n");
return 0;
}
EXPLANATION OF THE COMPONENTS
#include <stdio.h> is a preprocessor command,

tells a C compiler to include stdio.h file before

going to actual compilation.
int main() is the main function where the program

execution begins.
/*...*/ or // Statement ignored by the compiler and

it put to add additional comments in the program.

EXPLANATION OF THE
COMPONENTS
 Cont..

printf(...) is another function available in C

which causes the message to be displayed.

return 0; terminates the main() function and

returns the value 0.

SOURCE CODE AND
EXECUTABLE CODE
 These are two different forms of computer

code explained as;

Source Code - is the human-readable version

of a program that is written by a programmer

using a high-level programming language
such as C, Python, or Java.
SOURCE CODE AND
EXECUTABLE CODE
It contains comments, variable names, and

other elements that make it easier for

humans to read and understand.
Source code is compiled or interpreted to

produce executable code.

SOURCE CODE AND
EXECUTABLE CODE
Executable Code - is the machine-readable

version of a program that is produced by

compiling or interpreting the source code.
It contains binary instructions that can be

executed directly by a computer's processor.

Executable code is not human-readable and

cannot be easily modified by humans.

EDITOR, ASSEMBLER,
COMPILER AND LINKER
 Editor

Is a software tool used for creating and

modifying text files, including source code

files.
It provides a user-friendly interface for
editing text and may include features such as
syntax highlighting, auto-completion, and
EDITOR, ASSEMBLER,
COMPILER AND LINKER
Text editors are used by programmers to

write and modify source code for software

programs, scripts, and web pages.
Some popular text editors include Notepad+

+, Sublime Text, and Visual Studio Code.

EDITOR, ASSEMBLER,
COMPILER AND LINKER
 Assembler

Is a program that translates assembly code

into machine code.

Assembly code is a low-level programming

language that is specific to a particular

machine architecture.
EDITOR, ASSEMBLER,
COMPILER AND LINKER
 Linker

Is a program that resolves the unresolved

references in the object file and generates an

executable file.
It reads all the object files generated by the

compiler and assembler and combines them

into a single executable file.
 SAVING AND COMPILING A C
PROGRAM
 Steps to follow;

Open a text editor and write your source code.

Save the file with the any name but with an

extension of .c. E.g. hello.c

Compile your code.
SAVING AND COMPILING A C
PROGRAM
If there are no errors in your code, the

command prompt will take you to the next

line and would generate a.out executable
file.Now select execute.
You will see the output E.g. "Hello World"

printed on the screen.

DATA TYPES AND VARIABLES
 On this section, we are going to cover the

following;
Data types

Declaring and using data type in a C program.

Variable
DATA TYPE
 Specifies the type of data that a variable can

store such as integer, floating, character, etc.

 These data types can be classified as the

following;
Basic - int, char, float, double.

Derived

Enumeration
BASIC DATA TYPE

Integer:

 Integers are entire numbers without any

fractional or decimal parts, and (int) data type

is used to represent them.

BASIC DATA TYPE

Float:

 Floating numbers can be used to represent

fractional units or numbers with decimal

places.
BASIC DATA TYPE
Char:
 Typically used to hold ASCII or UTF-8 encoding
scheme characters, such as letters, numbers,
symbols, or commas.
 There are 256 characters that can be
represented by a single char, which takes up
one byte of memory. Characters such as 'A',
'b', '5', or '$' are enclosed in single quotes.
BASIC DATA TYPE
Double:
 Use two data types to represent two floating
integers. When additional precision is needed,
such as in scientific calculations or financial
applications, it provides greater accuracy
compared to float.
BASIC DATA TYPE
Keywords
 A keyword is a reserved word.
 You cannot use it as a variable name, constant
name, etc.
 Examples are such as auto, break, case, char,
const, continue, default, do, double, else,
enum etc.
DECLARING AND USING
DATA TYPE IN A C
PROGRAM.
Identifier:
 Is a collection of alphanumeric characters that
begins either with an alphabetical character or
an underscore, which are used to represent
various programming elements. E.g. variables,
functions, arrays, structures, unions, labels,
etc.
 There are 52 alphabetical characters
(uppercase and lowercase), underscore
character, and ten numerical digits (0-9). In
DECLARING AND USING
DATA TYPE IN A C
PROGRAM.
Cont..
 E.g. int myVariable;
"myVariable" is an identifier for an integer
variable.
 The first letter is a lowercase letter, and the
rest of the letters are also lowercase.
DECLARING AND USING
DATA TYPE IN A C
PROGRAM.
 Data types are used to declare variables or
functions with different types of data.
 Examples;
int myInt;
char myChar = 'a';
float myFloat = 3.14;
double myDouble = 3.14159265359;
FORMAT SPECIFIERS
 Are used to tell the compiler about the type of
data to be printed or scanned in input and
output operations.
 They always start with a % symbol and are
used in the formatted string in functions like
printf(), scanf etc.
 The C language provides a number of format
specifiers such as %d for int, %c for char, %f
for float, and so on.
AMPERSAND IN C
 The "&" symbol is used as the address of
operator. It returns the memory location of a
variable.
Different use of Ampersand
 To get the memory address of a variable.
 Used in front of a variable to get its address.
 The ampersand is also used to pass the
address of a variable to a function.
VARIABLE
 Is a user-defined name assigned to a memory
location that holds a value that can be
modified and reused many times during the
program execution.
 They store data of different types such as
integer, character, float and double.
 Variable helps the compiler know what data
type to expect and which operations can be
performed.
 The syntax for declaring a variable in C is as
follows:
<data type> <variable name>;
CONSTANT
 Is a value that cannot be modified once it is
declared in the program.
 Constants are similar to variables, but their
values remain fixed throughout the execution
of the program.
RESOURCES
 Reading resource:
 https://www.w3schools.com/c/index.php

 Online text editor for practice:

 https://www.programiz.com/c-programming/onli
ne-compiler/