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Lecture #2b

Overview of C Programming
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 Lecture #2: Overview of C Programming 3

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Output

 Computation is through function

 So far, we have used one function: int main(void)
main() function: where execution of program begins

 A function body has two parts

 Declarations statements: tell compiler what type of memory cells
needed
 Executable statements: describe the processing on the memory
cells Python
int main(void) { def main():
/* declaration statements */ # statements
/* executable statements */ return 0
if __name__ == "__main__":
return 0; main()
}
 Lecture #2: Overview of C Programming 4

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Output
 Declaration Statements: To declare use of variables
int count, value;
Data type Names of variables
 User-defined Identifier
 Name of a variable or function
 May consist of letters (a-z, A-Z), digits (0-9) and underscores (_), but
MUST NOT begin with a digit
 Case sensitive, i.e. count and Count are two distinct identifiers
 Guideline: Usually should begin with lowercase letter
 Must not be reserved words (next slide)
 Should avoid standard identifiers (next slide)
 Eg: Valid identifiers:
maxEntries, _X123, this_IS_a_long_name
Invalid:
1Letter, double, return, joe’s, ice cream, T*S
 Lecture #2: Overview of C Programming 5

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 Reserved words (or keywords)
 Have special meaning in C
 Eg: int, void, double, return
 Complete list: http://c.ihypress.ca/reserved.html
 Cannot be used for user-defined identifiers (names of variables or
functions)
 Standard identifiers
 Names of common functions, such as printf, scanf
 Avoid naming your variables/functions with the same name of
built-in functions you intend to use
 Lecture #2: Overview of C Programming 6

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 Executable statements
 I/O statements (eg: printf, scanf)
 Computational and assignment statements
 Assignment statements
 Store a value or a computational result in a variable
 (Note: ‘=’ means ‘assign value on its right to the variable on
its left’; it does NOT mean equality)
 Left side of ‘=’ is called lvalue

Eg: kms = KMS_PER_MILE * miles;

 Lecture #2: Overview of C Programming 7

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Eg: sum = sum + item;

 Note: lvalue must be

assignable

 Examples of invalid assignment (result in compilation error “lvalue

required as left operand of assignment”):
 32 = a; // ‘32’ is not a variable
 a + b = c; // ‘a + b’ is an expression, not variable
 Assignment can be cascaded, with associativity from right to left:
 a = b = c = 3 + 6; // 9 assigned to variables c, b and a
 The above is equivalent to: a = (b = (c = 3 + 6));
which is also equivalent to:
Python
c = 3 + 6;
b = c; Can write: a = b = c = 3 + 6
a = b; CANNOT: a = 5 + (b = 3)
 Lecture #2: Overview of C Programming 8

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 Side effect:
 An assignment statement does not just assigns, it also has the
side effect of returning the value of its right-hand side
expression
 Hence a = 12; has the side effect of returning the value of
12, besides assigning 12 to a
 Usually we don’t make use of its side effect, but sometimes we
do, eg:
z = a = 12; // or: z = (a = 12);
 The above makes use of the side effect of the assignment
statement a = 12; (which returns 12) and assigns it to z
 Side effects have their use, but avoid convoluted codes:
a = 5 + (b = 10); // assign 10 to b, and 15 to
a
 Side effects also apply to expressions involving other operators
(eg: logical operators). We will see more of this later.
 Lecture #2: Overview of C Programming 9

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 Arithmetic operations
 Binary Operators: +, –, *, /, % (remainder)
 Left Associative (from left to right)
 46 / 15 / 2  3 / 2  1
 19 % 7 % 3  5 % 3  2
 Unary operators: +, –
 Right Associative
 x = – 23 p = +4 * 10
 Execution from left to right, respecting parentheses rule, and then
precedence rule, and then associative rule (slide 30)
 addition, subtraction are lower in precedence than multiplication,
division, and remainder
 Truncate result if result can’t be stored (slide 31)
 int n; n = 9 * 0.5; results in 4 being stored in n.
 Lecture #2: Overview of C Programming 10

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ArithOps.c Output

// To illustrate some arithmetic operations in C

#include <stdio.h>
int main(void) {
int x, p, n;

// to show left associativity

printf("46 / 15 / 2 = %d\n", 46/15/2);
printf("19 %% 7 %% 3 = %d\n", 19%7%3);

// to show right associativity

x = -23;
p = +4 * 10; $ gcc ArithOps.c –o ArithOps
printf("x = %d\n", x); $ ArithOps
printf("p = %d\n", p); 46 / 15 / 2 = 1
19 % 7 %
// to show truncation of value 3 = 2
n = 9 * 0.5; x = -23
printf("n = %d\n", n); p = 40
n = 4
return 0;
}
 Lecture #2: Overview of C Programming 11

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Output
 Arithmetic operators: Associativity & Precedence

Operator Type Operator Associativity

Primary expression ( ) expr++ expr-- Left to right
operators
Unary operators * & + - ++expr --expr (typecast) Right to left
Binary operators * / % Left to right
+ -
Assignment = += -= *= /= %= Right to left
operators

Python
expr++, expr--, ++expr, --expr
are not available
 Lecture #2: Overview of C Programming 12

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Output
 Mixed-Type Arithmetic Operations
int m = 10/4; means m = 2;
float p = 10/4; means p = 2.0;
int n = 10/4.0; means n = 2;
float q = 10/4.0; means q = 2.5;
int r = -10/4.0; means r = -2; Caution!
 Type Casting
 Use a cast operator to change the type of an expression

 syntax: (type) expression

int aa = 6; float ff = 15.8;
float pp = (float) aa / 4; means
pp = 1.5;
int nn = (int) ff / aa; means
nn = 2;
float qq = (float) (aa / 4); means
qq = 1.0;
Try out TypeCast.c
 Lecture #2: Overview of C Programming 13

5.3 Compute: Difference with Python

 Python Floor Division
a = 10/4 means a = 2.5
b = 10//4 means b = 2
c = -10/4 means c = -2.5
d = -10//4 means d = -3
 Modulo
 Python % is modulo

a = 10%4  a = 2
b = -10%4  b = 2
 C % is remainder

a = 10%4  a = 2
b = -10%4  b = -2
 NOTE: be careful with negative values for % operation

Try out Modulo.c and compare with Modulo.py

 Lecture #2: Overview of C Programming 1 - 14

Quiz
• Please complete the “CS2100 C Programming Quiz 1” in
Canvas.
• Access via the “Quizzes” tool in the left toolbar and select the quiz
on the right side of the screen.
Lecture #3: Data Representation and Number Systems 15

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