The C Programming Language was originally created to write the UNIX operating system. It quickly turned into a multi-purpose language used by all types of programmers for a wide variety of applications. C is a small language that can be learned quickly. It is highly-structured and modular, supporting both small and large programs equally well.

Batky-Howell’s C Programming course has been introducing students to the power and flexibility of this language for years. You will develop the ability to design and write programs in the ANSI Standard C programming language. Concepts such as arrays, functions, control flow, pointers, and many others will quickly prepare you to successfully code your own C applications.

Objectives

Describe the basic elements of C.

Write C programs using all the major features of the language.

Define and use C datatypes.

Write variable declarations for programs.

Apply the unique notations that C uses for assignments, incrementing, and decrementing.

Control the flow of program execution.

Write modular programs consisting of functions.

Describe the purpose and functioning of a preprocessor.

Define the relationship between arrays and pointers.

Use structure variables for data storage and manipulation.

Detailed Outline

1. Course Introduction
   • Course Objectives
   • Overview
   • Suggested References
2. Introduction to C
   • What is C ?
   • Features of C
   • Why Program in C ?
   • History of C
   • Current Status and Future
3. An Overview of C
   • The First Program (hello.c)
   • How to Compile and Run a C Program
   • An Arithmetic Program (roof.c)
   • Execution Flow Control (mph.c)
   • The for Loop
   • The for Loop – Diagram
   • Character I/O
   • A File Copier Program (cp2.c)
   • A Character Counter (wc2.c)
   • A Look at Arrays
   • Stock Values (stock1.c)
   • The char Data Type
   • Strings (Character Arrays)
   • A String Copy Program (stringcp.c)
   • A Look at Functions
   • A Functional Program (func1.c)
   • A Review of printf()
4. Data Types and Variables
   • Fundamental Data Types
   • Data Type Values and Sizes
   • Variable Declarations
   • Variable Names
   • Constants
   • Character Constants
   • String Constants
5. Operators and Expressions
   • What are Expressions?
   • Arithmetic Operators
   • Relational Operators
   • Assignment Operator
   • Expressions Have Resulting Values
   • True and False
   • Logical Operators
   • Increment and Decrement Operators (++ and –)
   • Increment and Decrement Operators: Examples
   • ‘Operate-Assign’ Operators (+=, *=, …)
   • Conditional Expression
   • Operator Precedence
   • Precedence and Order of Evaluation
   • Evaluation of Logical Operators
   • Type Conversions
   • The Cast Operator
   • Bitwise Logical Operators
6. Control Flow
   • Statements
   • if – else
   • if() – else if()
   • switch()
   • while()
   • do – while()
   • for()
   • The for Loop – Diagram
   • Example: for() Loop
   • Another Example: for() Loop
   • The break Statement
   • The continue Statement
7. Functions
   • What is a Function?
   • Example: findbig3()
   • Why Use Functions?
   • Anatomy of a Function
   • Example: find_big_int()
   • Arguments Passed by Value
   • Addresses of Arguments Can Be Passed
   • A Picture of Addresses and Values
   • When to Use the Return Statement
   • Returning Non-Integer Values
   • Functions in Multiple Source Files
   • A Simple make File
   • The Concept of Variable Scope
   • Automatic Variables
   • Global (External) Variables
   • Static Variables
   • External Static Variables
8. The C Preprocessor
   • Symbolic Constants
   • Macro Substitution
   • File Inclusion
9. Pointers and Arrays
   • What is a Pointer?
   • Pointer Operators
   • Example: Pointers
   • Why Use Pointers?
   • Arrays
   • Arrays (a Picture)
   • The & Operator
   • Pointers and Arrays
   • Pointer Arithmetic
   • Pointer Arithmetic (a Picture)
   • Arrays and Pointers
   • Array Names are Constant Pointers
   • Passing Arrays to Functions
   • Initializing Arrays
10. Advanced Pointers
    • Pointer Initialization
    • Command-Line Arguments
    • Strings and Character Pointers
    • Arrays of Pointers
    • Command-Line Arguments
    • Access Through Pointers
    • Functions and Pointers
    • Example: Functions and Pointers
11. Structures
    • Structures
    • Comparison of Structures and Arrays
    • Structure Definitions
    • Structure Declarations
    • Structure Parameter Passing by Reference
    • Pointers to Structures
    • Structure Parameter Passing Again
    • Arrays of Structures
    • The malloc Routine
12. Appendix – File I/O in C
    • File Streams
    • Predefined Streams
    • The fprintf Function
    • The fscanf Function
    • fscanf() Examples
    • The fputs and fgets Functions
    • The fwrite and fread Functions
    • System I/O