C Programming
Private Training

Course Summary

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.

Audience
Programmers new to the ANSI C language.
Course Length
5 Days
Prerequisites
Programming skill in a language such as Pascal, COBOL, BASIC, or assembler.

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