IT REVIEWER – C

Below C Level

Origin

- Developed at AT&T Bell Labs in early 1970’s

- Created by Dennis Richie
- Product of both the B Programming Language and BCPL

Characteristics

- Programming languages have different levels, depending on how they resemble human
languages
1. Low-level Languages
2. Mid-level Languages
3. High-level Languages

Low-level Languages High-level Languages

-consists of numbers and codes that the -reads almost like English; all its commands &
microprocessor understands and executes instructions are English words
EX: Assembly Language EX: BCPL

ADVANTAGES:

High-level Low-level

M
I
D
- - runs programs faster
- easier to implement L - produces smaller program
E size
V
E
L
 Mid-level Language

-compact program size

-easy development
-fast running time
EX: C

Editing, Compiling, and Running a C Program

(syntax – structure, sematics – meaning) *
GCC – GNU Compiler Collection
Compiler

- examines each
- reads the instruction instruction - translates the
from the code information
(tells errors)

computer - links the object code - GCC creates object

program file code file

Development Cycle
1. Save!
2. Compile and Link!
3. Run!
4. Do it Again!

1. Save – saving the source code

- Create a source code in a text editor
- Save it as a C file using .c as extension
2. Compile and Link
- Source code to object file
- Object file to executable file
3. Run
- Program runs on a terminal
EX:
1. Save world.c
Filename: world
File extension: .c

2. Compile and Link gcc -o hello world.c

Compiler: gcc
Linker: -o (object file - determines name of executable file)
Executable File: hello
File: world.c

3. Run ./hello (runnable in terminal)

Executable file: hello

Common Errors
1. Wrong file extension
2. Using a forward slash (\) when a blackslash (/) is required
3. Forget to put on & on arguments, causes SEGMENTATION FAULT
SEGMENTATION FAULT – lacking argument, parameter, or variable
4. Missing closing and terminating characters, causes SYNTAX ERROR
- omitting a semicolon (signifies end of line) or a closing brace
- omitting quotation character

Basic Parts of a C Program

#include <stdio.h>

intmain (){
printf (“hello world!\n”);
return 0;
}

#include – directory
- instructs the compiler to include another source file
<stdio.h> or “stdio.h” – header file (.h)
- Provide protoype declarations for library functions
Libraries:
<stdio.h>
- standard input output
<math.h>
- math operations
<stdlib.h>
- standard library
<string.h>
- string manipulation
 intmain(){
} - main function
- Curly brackets close body
- Performs the principal function of a program

printf (“hello world!\n”);

return 0; - main body (in between curly braces)

return 0; - terminates program

\n – new line

Variable Declaration

Variables
- Temporary holders of values with a specified data type.
Data Type
- size and range of values and operations

- Do not use numbers as a first character

- No spaces (use underscore)
- C is case sensitive!
EX: number1 V 1number X number 1 X number_1 V

Data Types in C
Data Type Name Format Specifier Description
void Void Absence of type
int Integer %d or %i Whole numbers
char Character %c Letters on symbols
float Float %f Floating point numbers
(six decimal places)
double Double %lf Floating point numbers
(fifteen decimal places)

Reserved Words
- Cannot be declared as variables; cannot be used as variable names.

EX: return
Comments
// - ignores a line
/* */ - used for multi-line comments

EX:
/*
This is a function in C
*/

//comment

Input and Output Statement

Printing a Statement
In Pseudocode In C
DISPLAY “hello world” printf(“hello world”);

Getting an Input

scanf (“%d”, &number);

Built in function: scanf ()

Formal specifier: %d
Variable name: number
& - locates variable in a computer
EX:
printf(“There are %d students in this class.”, number);