Lecture 1

Introduction to C

Writing C Programs

Our First C Program

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What is C?

• Dennis Ritchie – AT&T Bell

Laboratories – 1972
• 16-bit DEC PDP-11
computer (right)
• Widely used today
• extends to newer system
architectures
• efficiency/performance
• low-level access

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Features of C

C features:
• Few keywords
• Structures, unions – compound data types
• Pointers – memory, arrays
• External standard library – I/O, other facilities
• Compiles to native code
• Macro preprocessor

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What is C used for?

Systems programming:
• OSes, like Linux
• microcontrollers: automobiles and airplanes
• embedded processors: phones, portable electronics, etc.
• DSP processors: digital audio and TV systems
• ...

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C vs. related languages

• More recent derivatives: C++, Objective C, C#

• Influenced: Java, Perl, Python (quite different)
• C lacks:
• exceptions
• range-checking
• garbage collection
• object-oriented programming
• polymorphism
• ...
• Low-level language ⇒ faster code (usually)

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Warning: low-level language!

Inherently unsafe:
• No range checking
• Limited type safety at compile time
• No type checking at runtime

Handle with care.

• Always run in a debugger like gdb (more later. . . )
• Never run as root
• Never test code on the Athena1 servers

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6.087 Lecture 1 – January 11, 2010

Introduction to C

Writing C Programs

Our First C Program

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Editing C code

• .c extension
• Editable directly

• More later. . .

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Compiling a program
• gcc (included with most Linux distributions): compiler
• .o extension
• omitted for common programs like gcc

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Debugging

Figure: gdb: command-line debugger

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Using gdb

Some useful commands:

• break linenumber – create breakpoint at specified line
• break file:linenumber – create breakpoint at line in
file
• run – run program
• c – continue execution
• next – execute next line
• step – execute next line or step into function
• quit – quit gdb
• print expression – print current value of the specified
expression
• help command – in-program help

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Memory debugging

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The IDE – all-in-one solution
• Popular IDEs: Eclipse (CDT), Microsoft Visual C++
(Express Edition), KDevelop, Xcode, . . .
• Integrated editor with compiler, debugger
• Very convenient for larger programs

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Lecture 1

Introduction to C

Writing C Programs

Our First C Program

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Hello, students

• In style of “Hello, world!”

• .c file structure
• Syntax: comments, macros, basic declarations
• The main() function and function structure
• Expressions, order-of-operations
• Basic console I/O (puts(), etc.)

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Structure of a .c file
/* Begin with comments about file contents */

Insert #include statements and preprocessor

definitions

Function prototypes and variable declarations

Define main() function

{
Function body
}

Define other function

{
Function body
}
.
.
.

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Comments

• Comments: /∗ this a simple comment ∗/

• Can span multiple lines
/ ∗ T h i s comment
spans
multiple lines ∗/

• Completely ignored by compiler

• Can appear almost anywhere
/∗ hello . c ∗/

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The #include macro

• Header files: constants, functions, other declarations

• #include <stdio.h> – read the contents of the header file
stdio.h
• stdio.h: standard I/O functions for console, files

/ ∗ h e l l o . c −− our f i r s t C program

Created by D a n i e l Weller , 01/11/2010 ∗ /

# include < s t d i o . h> / ∗ b a s i c I /O f a c i l i t i e s ∗ /

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More about header files

• stdio.h – part of the C Standard Library

• other important header files: ctype.h, math.h,
stdlib.h, string.h, time.h
• For the ugly details: visit http:
//www.unix.org/single_unix_specification/
(registration required)
• Included files must be on include path
• -Idirectory with gcc: specify additional include
directories
• standard include directories assumed by default
• #include "stdio.h" – searches ./ for stdio.h first

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Declaring variables

• Must declare variables before use

• Variable declaration:
int n;
float phi;
• int - integer data type
• float - floating-point data type
• Many other types (more next lecture. . . )

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Initializing variables

• Uninitialized, variable assumes a default value

• Variables initialized via assignment operator:
n = 3;
• Can also initialize at declaration:
float phi = 1.6180339887;
• Can declare/initialize multiple variables at once:
int a, b, c = 0, d = 4;

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Arithmetic expressions

Suppose x and y are variables

• x+y, x-y, x*y, x/y, x%y: binary arithmetic
• A simple statement:
y = x+3∗x/(y−4);
• Numeric literals like 3 or 4 valid in expressions
• Semicolon ends statement (not newline)
• x += y, x -= y, x *= y, x /= y, x %= y: arithmetic
and assignment

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Order of operations

• Order of operations:

Operator Evaluation direction

+,- (sign) right-to-left
*,/,% left-to-right
+,- left-to-right
=,+=,-=,*=,/=,%= right-to-left

• Use parentheses to override order of evaluation

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Order of operations

Assume x = 2.0 and y = 6.0. Evaluate the statement

float z = x+3∗x/(y−4);
1. Evaluate expression in parentheses
float z = x+3∗x/(y−4); → float z = x+3∗x/2.0;

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Order of operations

Assume x = 2.0 and y = 6.0. Evaluate the statement

float z = x+3∗x/(y−4);
1. Evaluate expression in parentheses
float z = x+3∗x/(y−4); → float z = x+3∗x/2.0;
2. Evaluate multiplies and divides, from left-to-right
float z = x+3∗x/2.0; → float z = x+6.0/2.0; → float z = x+3.0;

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Order of operations

Assume x = 2.0 and y = 6.0. Evaluate the statement

float z = x+3∗x/(y−4);
1. Evaluate expression in parentheses
float z = x+3∗x/(y−4); → float z = x+3∗x/2.0;
2. Evaluate multiplies and divides, from left-to-right
float z = x+3∗x/2.0; → float z = x+6.0/2.0; → float z = x+3.0;
3. Evaluate addition
float z = x+3.0; → float z = 5.0;

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Order of operations

Assume x = 2.0 and y = 6.0. Evaluate the statement

float z = x+3∗x/(y−4);
1. Evaluate expression in parentheses
float z = x+3∗x/(y−4); → float z = x+3∗x/2.0;
2. Evaluate multiplies and divides, from left-to-right
float z = x+3∗x/2.0; → float z = x+6.0/2.0; → float z = x+3.0;
3. Evaluate addition
float z = x+3.0; → float z = 5.0;
4. Perform initialization with assignment
Now, z = 5.0.

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Order of operations

Assume x = 2.0 and y = 6.0. Evaluate the statement

float z = x+3∗x/(y−4);
1. Evaluate expression in parentheses
float z = x+3∗x/(y−4); → float z = x+3∗x/2.0;
2. Evaluate multiplies and divides, from left-to-right
float z = x+3∗x/2.0; → float z = x+6.0/2.0; → float z = x+3.0;
3. Evaluate addition
float z = x+3.0; → float z = 5.0;
4. Perform initialization with assignment
Now, z = 5.0.
How do I insert parentheses to get z = 4.0?

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Order of operations

Assume x = 2.0 and y = 6.0. Evaluate the statement

float z = x+3∗x/(y−4);
1. Evaluate expression in parentheses
float z = x+3∗x/(y−4); → float z = x+3∗x/2.0;
2. Evaluate multiplies and divides, from left-to-right
float z = x+3∗x/2.0; → float z = x+6.0/2.0; → float z = x+3.0;
3. Evaluate addition
float z = x+3.0; → float z = 5.0;
4. Perform initialization with assignment
Now, z = 5.0.
How do I insert parentheses to get z = 4.0?
float z = (x+3∗x)/(y−4);

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Function prototypes

• Functions also must be declared before use

• Declaration called function prototype
• Function prototypes:
int factorial ( int ); or int factorial ( int n);
• Prototypes for many common functions in header files for
C Standard Library

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Function prototypes

• General form:
return_type function_name(arg1,arg2,...);
• Arguments: local variables, values passed from caller
• Return value: single value returned to caller when function
exits
• void – signifies no return value/arguments
int rand(void);

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The main() function

• main(): entry point for C program

• Simplest version: no inputs, outputs 0 when successful,
and nonzero to signal some error
int main(void);
• Two-argument form of main(): access command-line
arguments
int main(int argc, char ∗∗argv);
• More on the char **argv notation later

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Function definitions

Function declaration
{
declare variables;
program statements;
}
• Must match prototype (if there is one)
• variable names don’t have to match
• no semicolon at end
• Curly braces define a block – region of code
• Variables declared in a block exist only in that block
• Variable declarations before any other statements

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Our main() function

/ ∗ The main ( ) f u n c t i o n ∗ /
i n t main ( void ) / ∗ e n t r y p o i n t ∗ /
{

/ ∗ w r i t e message t o console ∗ /
puts(hello, students" ) ;

r e t u r n 0 ; / ∗ e x i t ( 0 => success ) ∗ /
}

• puts(): output text to console window (stdout) and end

the line
• String literal: written surrounded by double quotes
• return 0;
exits the function, returning value 0 to caller

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Alternative main() function

• Alternatively, store the string in a variable first:

i n t main ( void ) / ∗ e n t r y p o i n t ∗ /
{
const char msg [ ] = "hello, 6.087 students" ;

/ ∗ w r i t e message t o console ∗ /
p u t s ( msg ) ;

• const keyword: qualifies variable as constant

• char: data type representing a single character; written in
quotes: ’a’, ’3’, ’n’
• const char msg[]: a constant array of characters

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More about strings

• Strings stored as character array

• Null-terminated (last character in array is ’\0’ null)
• Not written explicitly in string literals
• Special characters specified using \ (escape character):
• \\ – backslash, \’ – apostrophe, \” – quotation mark
• \b, \t, \r, \n – backspace, tab, carriage return, linefeed
• \ooo, \xhh – octal and hexadecimal ASCII character
codes, e.g. \x41 – ’A’, \060 – ’0’

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Console I/O

• stdout, stdin: console output and input streams

• puts(string): print string to stdout
• putchar(char): print character to stdout
• char = getchar(): return character from stdin
• string = gets(string): read line from stdin into
string
• Many others - later this week

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Preprocessor macros

• Preprocessor macros begin with # character

#include <stdio.h>
• #define msg "hello,students"
defines msg as “hello,students” throughout source
file
• many constants specified this way

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Defining expression macros

• #define can take arguments and be treated like a function

#define add3(x,y,z) (( x)+(y)+(z))
• parentheses ensure order of operations
• compiler performs inline replacement; not suitable for
recursion

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Conditional preprocessor macros

• #if , #ifdef, #ifndef, #else, # elif , #endif

conditional preprocessor macros, can control which lines
are compiled
• evaluated before code itself is compiled, so conditions must
be preprocessor defines or literals
• the gcc option -Dname=value sets a preprocessor define
that can be used
• Used in header files to ensure declarations happen only
once

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Conditional preprocessor macros

• #pragma
preprocessor directive
• #error, #warning
trigger a custom compiler error/warning
• #undef msg
remove the definition of msg at compile time

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Summary

Topics covered:
• How to edit, compile, and debug C programs
• C programming fundamentals:
• comments
• preprocessor macros, including #include
• the main() function
• declaring and initializing variables, scope
• using puts() – calling a function and passing an argument
• returning from a function

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