BASIC C PROGRAMMING

DBV10063
TOPIC 1
INTRODUCTION TO BASIC C LANGUAGE
TYPE OF PROGRAMMING
TYPES OF PROGRAMMIING LANGUAGE
1. Machine languages
• Strings of numbers giving machine specific instructions
• Example:
+1200032456
+1300222417
+1400452345
2. Assembly languages
• English-like abbreviations representing elementary computer operations (translated via
assemblers)
• Example:
LOAD BASEPAY
ADD OVERPAY
STORE GROSSPAY
3. High-level languages
• Codes similar to everyday English
• Use mathematical notations (translated via compilers)
• Example:
grossPay = basePay + overTimePay
 Introduction to C Language

C is a powerful procedural-based programming language developed in 1972 by Dennis

Ritchie within the halls of Bell Telephone Laboratories.

The C programming language was originally developed for use with the UNIX
platform and has since spread to many other systems and applications. C has influenced a
number of other programming languages, including C++ and Java.

Beginning programmers, especially those enrolled in computer science and engineering

majors, need to build a solid foundation of operating systems, hardware, and application
development concepts.

Numerous learning institutions accomplish this by teaching their students how to program in
C so that they may progress to advanced concepts and other languages built upon C.
 Introduction to C Language

THE C STANDARD LIBRARY

❖ C programs consist of pieces/modules called functions
❖ A programmer can create his own functions
❖ Advantage: the programmer knows exactly how it works
❖ Disadvantage: time consuming
❖ Programmers will often use the C library functions
❖ Use these as building blocks
❖ Avoid re-inventing the wheel
❖ If a premade function exists, generally best to use it rather than write your own
❖ Library functions carefully written, efficient, and portable

CRITERIA OF C
❖ Structured programming
❖ Disciplined approach to writing programs
❖ Clear, easy to test and debug and easy to modify
❖ Multitasking
❖ Specifying that many activities run in parallel
❖ C is a portable language
❖ Programs can run on many different computers
❖ However, portability is an elusive goal
 Introduction to C Language

MEMORY CONCEPTS
A computer’s memory is somewhat like a human’s, in that a computer has both short-term and
long-term memory.
A computer’s long-term memory is called nonvolatile memory and is generally associated
with mass storage devices, such as hard drives, large disk arrays, optical storage (CD/DVD),
and of course portable storage devices such as USB flash or key drives.
RAM is comprised of fixed-size cells with each cell number referenced through an address.
Programmers commonly reference memory cells through the use of variables.
There are many types of variables, depending on the programming language, but all variables
share similar characteristics, as described in Table 2.1.
BASICS OF A TYPICAL C PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT
Introduction to C Language
ERROR TYPES AND SOLUTIONS
1. Syntax Error
an error in the syntax of a sequence of characters or tokens that is intended to be written

in C language.

Taking the following line of programming as an example:

for (start expression ; test expression; count expression)

{
block of one or more C statements;
}

The above program shows forms that described the syntax of C.

Every opening of brackets ( { ) must be followed by its closure ( } ) where in between we

will have a block of one or more C statements.

If the C program doesn’t detect the closure, during the compilation process, the error will
be detected by the compiler.

When the error has removed, then we can proceed to the execution of the resulting
object program, which is in machine-readable form.
ERROR TYPES AND SOLUTIONS
2. Semantic Errors
These errors occurred during the execution phase.
For example, if you attempt division by zero, an appropriate message will be displayed.
Such errors are usually called run-time errors.
This means the source program must be edited and recompiled, and the object
program executed again.
The process of identifying and correcting or removing the
bugs is called debugging.

3. Logic Error
Even if the program has no compile errors or run-time errors, the program may not be
correct.
For example, the output result could be incorrect. The source of this error may be the
original algorithm design.
If this is the case, we must return to the algorithm design phase and modify it, change
the source program and compile and execute once more.
In order to test the correctness of the program, the program should be executed many
times with various inputs.
However, this is still not a guarantee that the program is correct, since it may fail on
other input data.
 BASIC STRUCTURE OF C PROGRAM

C programming applies top down design. This kind of design will have standard
structure which has three phases:

Initialization: initializes the program variables

Processing: inputs data values and adjusts program variables accordingly

Termination: calculates and prints the final results

 // A first ....... It is a comment.

# include <stdio.h>
It is a preprocessor directives contains information used by compiler
SIMPLE C PROGRAM when compiling calls to standard i/o library function

Example: main()
function that is first function called when you program executed
// A first C program
{}
#include <stdio.h> Braces mark the start and end of the list of instructions that make up
  the program within opening and closing braces
main()
{ printf
printf( “Welcome to C!\n”); Also called console output, instruct the computer to print on the
printf( “Thank you for using me!\ screen the string of characters contained between the quotation marks.
n”);
\
return 0; This is called escape character.
}
\n
means newline.

return 0
This statements terminates the function containing it and return the
specified value to that function caller.
C Keywords

⮚ Keywords are words in C language whose meaning has already been

explained to the C compiler.
⮚ Keywords cannot be used as variables names.
⮚ All keywords must be written in lowercase.
⮚ Keywords are already reserved words which carry specific meaning
and serve as basic building block for programming statements.
%c Single character
%s String
%d Signed decimal
%f Floating point (decimal notation)
%e Floating point (exponential notation)
%u Unsigned decimal integer
%x Unsigned hexadecimal integer (use
"abcdef")
%o Unsigned octal integer
l or L ( %ld, %lu, Long integer or long double floating point
%lx, %lo )

Format specifier
Console Output(printf)

The function to send data to the screen (display the data)

Syntax: printf(“controlString”, other arguments);
Console Input(scanf)
The scanf function is a way to get input from user through the keyboard. When a
program reaches a line with a scanf(), the user at the keyboard can enter values
directly into variables.
Syntax: scanf(“controlString”, other arguments);
Try this out
1) Write a program to display on screen for the tower below
* *
/ \ / \
| | | |
| | | |
| |=========================| |
| |=========================| |
| | | |
| | | |
/ \ / \
/ \ / \
/ \ / \
/ \ / \

2) Write a program capable to display your name, contact number and address on
the screen.

3) Write a program that prompts users for name and age. Store these values in
separate variables and print them on-screen

4) Input 5 numbers and work out their sum, and average on those numbers.

5) Input and output your name, address and age to an appropriate structure.
Header File
• This file allows the program to access the C built-in features.
• These files also provide information to the C compiler about the
inputs and results produce by each function in the libraries
Preprocessor Directive
• Preprocessing refer to the first step in translating.
• All preprocesssor directives begin with # and not C statements, so
they do not end in (;)

#define
#include • directive define macros that
• Directive to insert the contents of a file enable you to replace one string
into your program with another

• With this, you can place common • You can use it to give meaningful
declarations in one location and names to numeric constants,
use them in all source file thus improving constants, thus
through file inclusion improving the readability of your
source files
Ex: #include <stdio.h>
Ex: #define X1 b+c
 Preprocessor Directive (continue..)

With directives such as #if, #ifdef, #else and #endif,

you can compile only selected portion of your program.
You can use this feature to write source files with code
for two nor more systems, but compile only those parts
that apply to the computer system on which you compile
the program.
With this strategy, you can maintain multiple versions of
a program using a single set of source files.
X1 = b+c = 2+3 = 5
X2 = X1+X1 = b+c+b+c = 2+3+2+3 = 10
X3 = X2*c+X1-d = b+c+b+c*c+b+c-d = 2+3+2+3*3+2+3-4 = 2+3+2+9+2+3-4 = 17
X4 = 2*X1+3*X2+4*X3 = 2*b+c+3*b+c+b+c+4*b+c+b+c*c+b+c-d =
2*2+3+3*2+3+2+3+4*2+3+2+3*3+2+3-4 = 4+3+6+3+2+3+8+3+2+9+2+3-4 = 44
Escape Sequence

• An escape sequences always begins with the backslash \ and is followed by

one or more special characters

Escape Sequence Description

\n Newline
\t Horizontal tab
\a Alert. Sound the system bell
\\ Backslash. Used to print backslash character.

\” Double quote. Used to print double quote

character.
1st method
COMMENTS
• C programs can
include comments
that provide
information to a
person reading the
program

2nd method
PSEUDO CODE
• Pseudo code consists of short, English phrases used to explain specific tasks within a

program's algorithm
• Pseudo code should not include keywords in any specific computer languages and
written as a list of consecutive phrases.
• You must first understand the program specifications, then organize your thoughts and
create the program.
• You must break the main tasks that must be accomplished into smaller ones in order
to be able to eventually write fully developed code.
• Writing pseudo code WILL save you time later during the construction & testing phase
of a program's development.
• In writing pseudo code, make a list of the main tasks that must be accomplished on a
piece of scratch paper.
• Then, focus on each of those tasks; try to break each main task down into very small
tasks that can each be explained with a short phrase.
 FLOWCHART NOTATION

Oval symbol: Indicates the beginning or

end of a program or a section of code
Data [scanf, printf]
VDU symbol: Indicates prints on screen

Parallelogram symbol: Indicates

read/write action

Diamond symbol: Indicates options or

multi choices

Rectangle symbol (action symbol):

Indicates any type of action

Small circle symbol: Indicates within

page connector
Example: Write a program that obtains two integer numbers from the
user. It will print out the sum of those numbers.
Flowchart:
Start
Pseudocode:
1. Prompt the user to enter
the first integer Prompt user “Enter first
integer”
2. Obtain user's first
integer input
Read first integer
3. Prompt the user to enter
a second integer
4. Obtain user's second Prompt user “Enter
second integer”
integer input
5. Add first integer and
second integer Read second
integer
6. Store the result in
another variable Result =
7. Display an output First Integer + Second Integer
prompt that explains the
answer as the sum Display result of addition
8. Display the result
 
End
Example: Write a FLOWCHART and program which will calculate the total
grade of 5 students. At the end, get the average of the grades.
 Variables

❖ Storage element to hold changeable data

❖ Always have an identifying Name, Type and Value

Naming Variables

❖can be short as a single letter or as long as 31 characters.

❖ The name must begin with a letter of the alphabet but after the first letter they can
contain a letters, numbers and underscore (_) character
❖ example:
❖ letters ‘a’ - ‘z’ & ‘A’ - ‘Z’ and numerals ‘0’ -‘9’ plus ‘_’ but not spaces or other
chars.
❖ ‘C’ is CASE SENSITIVE! - ‘My_Name’ is not the same as ‘my_name’!
❖ Must start with an alphabetic char. not numeral so ‘5my_name’ is illegal!
❖ up to 31 chars long.
❖ Avoid reserved (key) words!
 Define A Variable

⮚ There are two places where you can define a variable:

⮚ after the brace of a block of code (usually at the top of a function)
call as Local Variable
⮚ before a function name ( such as before main() in the program)
call as Global Variable

⮚ Example:
main()
{
int i,j; /* These three lines define 4 variables */
char c;
float k;
 
/* Rest of program follows */
}

Explanations:

int i,j; /* Define the variables i and j as integers. */

char c; /* Define the variable c as a character. */
float k; /* Define the variable k as a floating point. */
 Data type C keyword Bits Range

DATA TYPE Integer Int => %d 16 -32768 to 32767

Long integer Long 32 -4294967296 to 4294967295
Short integer Short 8 -128 to 127
Variables can hold unsigned Unsigned 16 0 to 65535
different types of data. integer
C supports seven built-
in data types and it Character Char => 8 0 to 255
%c / %s
identifiers them by Floating point Float => %f 32 approximately 6 digits of
keywords double Double 64 precision
floating point approximately 12 digits of
precision
Assignment Statement
The operator used for simple assignment of values to variables using the format:
variable = expression;
Example:
● age=29;
● salary=40000.00;
● dependents=5;
● a=b=c=d=100; 🡪 multiple assignment statements
● Value=5+(r=9-c) 🡪 compound assignment statements

Any statement of the form variable = variable operator expression, can be written
in the form variable operator = expression;
See the table below:

Operator Example Equivalent

+= bonus+=500; bonus=bonus+500;

-= budget - = 50; budget=budget - 50;

*= salary *=1.2; salary=salary *1.2;

/= factor/=.5; factor=factor/.5;
%= daynum %=7 daynum=daynum%7;
 Arithmetic Operator

C uses the following notation for arithmetic operations:

Name of Operator Syntax Result

Addition x+y Adds x and y
Subtraction x-y Subtracts y form x
Multiplication x*y Multiplies x and y
Division x/y Divide x by y
Remainder x%y Computes the remainder that results from dividing
x by y

Preincrement ++x Increments x before use

Postincrement x++ Increments x after use
Predecrement --x Decrements x before use
Postdecrement x-- Decrements x after use
ORDER OF PRECEDENCE
C applies operators in arithmetic expression a precise sequence determined by the
following rules of operator precedence, which are generally the same as those
followed in algebra.
Table below display the rules of operator precedence.

Order Operators
First ()
Second *, /, %
Third +, -
 INCREMENT AND DECREMENT OPERATOR

❖ In the increment (++) and decrement(--) operators are very useful.

❖ The ++ operator add one to the operator and the -- operator subtracts
one from the operator.

❖ The following illustrate the operations:

 
X++ is the same as X=X+1
X-- is the same as X=X-1

Symbol Descriptions
Preincrement ++X Increment X by 1 then use the
new value of X in the
expression in which X resides.
Postincrement X++ Use the current value of X in
the expression in which X
resides then increment by 1.
Predecrement --X Decrement X by 1 then use the
new value of X in the
expression in which X resides.
Postdecrement X-- Use the current value of X in
the expression in which X
resides then decrement by 1.
 RELATIONAL OPERATOR
❖Relational operator are used to ask questions about the variables.
❖These expressions state a relationship between the real and integer
expression. If the relationship holds, the expression is true; otherwise the
expression is false.
❖Thus the expression is true, if value of the variable ‘Result’ is greater than 10.
❖All expressions that use relational operators will return a 0 for false and a 1
for true.
❖The following is a summary of relational operator are:

Operator Meaning
> Greater than
>= Greater than or equal to
< Less than
<= Less than or equal to
== Equal to
!= Not Equal to
 LOGICAL OPERATOR
There are three logical or Boolean operators in C :

Operator Action
&& AND
|| OR
! NOT

The following table illustrate these logical operations:

Input1 Input2 Input1 && Input2 Input1 || Input2 !Input1

0 0 0 0 1
0 1 0 1 1
1 0 0 1 0
1 1 1 1 0