1 C Programming Reference Note

Unit-3
Data Input and Output

Data input and output

- A program without any input or output has no meaning.
- Reading the data from input devices and displaying the result are the two main task of anyprogram.
Input:
- It is a process of transferring data from input devices into program.
- C provides a set of built-in functions to read given input and feed it to the program as per
requirement.
Output:
- It is a process of displaying data on screen, printer or in any file.
- C provides a set of built-in functions to output required data.

Input and output functions

- Input/output functions are the links between the user and the terminal.
- Input functions are used to read data from keyboard are called standard input functions.scanf(),
getchar(), getche(), getch(), gets() etc.
- Output functions are used to display the result on the screen are called standard outputfunctions.
printf(), putchar(), putch(), puts() etc.
- In C, the standard library stdio.h provides functions for input and ouput.
- The instruction #include<stdio.h> tells the compiler to search for a file named stdio.h
and places its contents at this point in the program.
- The contents of the header file become part of the source code when it is compiled.

The input/output functions are classified as follows:

1. Formatted functions
2. Unformatted functions
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Formatted Functions
- Formatted functions allow the input from the keyboard or the output displayed on screen
to be formatted according to our requirements.
- Input function: scanf( )
- Output function: printf( ) Formatted functions

Formatted Input
- The well-known function for formatted input is scanf.
- The built-in function scanf() can be used to enter input data into the computer from a
standard input device.
- Its general form is as follows:
scanf(“control string”, arg1, arg2,…..,argn);
Where, control string → format in which data is to be entered.
arg1, arg2,… → location where the data is stored and preceded by ampersand (&)
- The control string consists of individual groups of data formats, with one group for each
input data item.
- Each data format must begin with a percentage sign.

Conversion Specifier:

E.g.
#include<stdio.h>
void main()
{
int i;
printf("Please enter a value:");
scanf("%d", &i);
printf( "\nYou entered: %d", i);
}

Field width e.g.:

#include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
void main()
{
int d;
printf("Enter max 5 numbers:");
scanf("%5d",&d);
printf("Entered number is %d",d);
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getch();
}

Input string:
#include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
void main()
{
char str[20];
printf("Enter your name:");
scanf("%s",&str);
printf("Your name is %s",str);
getch();
}
Reading mixed data types:
- In a single scanf call more than one of data can be read.
- Care should be taken to ensure that the input data items match the control specification.
E.g.
#include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
void main()
{
char name[20];
int roll;
float marks;
printf("Enter your name, roll number and marks:");
scanf("%s%d%f",&name,&roll,&marks);
printf("Name=%s\nRoll no.=%d\nMarks=%f",name,roll,marks);
getch();
}

Formatted Output
- Refers to the output of data that has been arranged in a particular format.
- printf() is a built in function which is used to output data from the computer onto a
standard device i.e. screen.
- General form:
printf("control string",arg1,arg2,….argn);
- The control string cosists of four types of items:
 Character that will be printed on the screen as they appear
 Format specifications that define the output format for display of each item
 Escape sequence character such as \n,\t etc.
 Any combination of characters, format specifications and escape sequences.
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Unformatted Functions
- Unformatted functions do not allow user to read or display data in desire format.
- These library functions basically deals with a single character or a string of character.
- The functions getchar(), putchar(), gets(), puts(), getch(), getche(), putche() are
considered as unformatted functions.

 getchar()
- Reads a character from a standard input device.
- It takes the form: character_variable = getchar();
- This function reads only single character at a time.

 putchar()
- Displays a character to the standard output device.
- Its form: putchar(character_variable)
- This function displays only single character at a time.

E.g.
#include <stdio.h>
void main( )
{
int c;
printf("Enter a character:");
/* Take a character as input and store it in variable c */
c = getchar();
/* display the character stored in variable c */
putchar(c);
}

 gets()
- used to read string of text, containing whitespace, until a new line character is
encountered.
- General form: gets(string_variable);

 puts()
- Used to display the string onto the terminal
- General form: puts(string_variable);

E.g.
#include<stdio.h>
void main()
{
/* character array of length 100 */
char str[100];
printf("Enter a string:");
gets( str );
printf("The string you entered:");
puts( str );
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getch();
}

Or

16. What is input/output function? Explain each of them.

Ans: Input /output function: A set of rules or routine defined for input and output of data
are called I/O functions. These functions are responsible for receiving data from the
different components like keyboard. File /Folder network.
Some input and out put function are described. The concept of get char ( ), put char ( ),
gets ( ), puts ( ), scanf ( ), print ( ) are essential for programming. The decision of these
functions are problem oriented.
(a) Character input output:
We use get char ( ) and put char( ) for character inputting and outputting purpose. We
use putc( ) also to display characters on screen:
Get char ( ) and put char ( ):
SN. Get char ( ) : put char ( ):
1 It is used to enter character through It is used to display character on
keyboard at time of execution. screen.
Escape sequences are not used
with it.
2 Formula= Get char( ) Formula=
put char ( variable or character);
3 Example : Example :
#include <stdio.h> #include <stdio.h>
#include<conio.h> #include<conio.h>
void main ( ) void main ( )
{ {
char letter; char letter= 'a'
printf ("enter character"); put char( letter )
letter = get char( ) put char (b)
put char( letter ) }
}
(b) String input /output
The string handling process is dine through gets ( ), f get ( ), puts( ) and f puts( ).
SN. gets ( ) puts( )
1 It stands for get –string. It stands for put–string.
2 A conversion specifies are not A conversion specifies are not used
used with it. with puts ( ).
3 It reads a string from keyboard IT used one argument, which can be
(standard input device) either a data- item. Or a variable.
It displays data (string) on the
screen (standard out put device).
4 Formula= Formula=
Get (variable) Get( data item or variable ) ;
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5 Example: Example:
#include <stdio.h> #include <stdio.h>
#include<conio.h> #include<conio.h>
Main ( ) MAIN ( )
{ {
Char name [20] Char NAME [20]
Print f("enter name:"); PRINT F("what is your name;")
gets (name) ; Gets (name);
puts (name); Puts (name);
} puts (''thank you")
}

(c) Others are:

S.N Function Description
1 Getc() Input macro to read a character from a file.

2 Getch() Reads one keystroke without echoing input character.

3 Getchar() Input function to read a character from keyboard.

4 Gettche() Reads one keystroke with echoing input character.

5 Gets() Reads strings or words declared inside <string.h>

header file.
6 Print() Output from computer system. It offers:
%d, %c, %s, %f, and others for integer decimal,
character, string and float data type.

7 Puct() Output macro to print a character on the file.

8 Putchar() Out function to print a character on the monitor.

9 Puts() Output words or strings in monitor.

10 Scanf() Input from keyboard, different data can be entered like

int, float, chart, string,etc.
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