C Language

Index
Introduction to C
C Fundamentals
Operators & Expressions
Data Input and Output
Decision Making & Branching control Structures
Loop Control Structures
Functions
Data Types & Storage Classes
Arrays & Strings
Structures & Unions
Pointers
Files

Overview of C
C is developed by Dennis Ritchie
C is a structured programming language
C supports functions that enables easy
maintainability of code, by breaking large
file into smaller modules
Comments in C provides easy readability
C is a powerful language

Program structure
A sample C Program
#include<stdio.h>
int main()
{
--other statements
}

Header files
The files that are specified in the include
section is called as header file
These are precompiled files that has some
functions defined in them
We can call those functions in our
program by supplying parameters
Header file is given an extension .h
C Source file is given an extension .c

Main function
This is the entry point of a program
When a file is executed, the start point is
the main function
From main function the flow goes as per
the programmers choice.
There may or may not be other functions
written by user in a program
Main function is compulsory for any c
program

Writing the first program

#include<stdio.h>
int main()
{
printf(Hello);
return 0;
}
This program prints Hello on the screen when
we execute it

Running a C Program
Type a program
Save it
Compile the program This will generate an exe
file (executable)
Run the program (Actually the exe created out of
compilation will run and not the .c file)
In different compiler we have different option for
compiling and running. We give only the
concepts.

Comments in C
Single line comment
// (double slash)
Termination of comment is by pressing enter
key

Multi line comment

/*.
.*/
This can span over to multiple lines

Data types in C
Primitive data types
int, float, double, char

Aggregate data types

Arrays come under this category
Arrays can contain collection of int or float or
char or double data

User defined data types

Structures and enum fall under this category.

Variables
Variables are data that will keep on changing
Declaration
<<Data type>> <<variable name>>;
int a;

Definition
<<varname>>=<<value>>;
a=10;

Usage
<<varname>>
a=a+1; //increments the value of a by 1

Variable names- Rules

Should not be a reserved word like int etc..
Should start with a letter or an
underscore(_)
Can contain letters, numbers or
underscore.
No other special characters are allowed
including space
Variable names are case sensitive
A and a are different.

Input and Output

Input
scanf(%d,&a);
Gets an integer value from the user and
stores it under the name a

Output
printf(%d,a)
Prints the value present in variable a on the
screen

For loops
The syntax of for loop is
for(initialisation;condition checking;increment)
{
set of statements
}
Eg: Program to print Hello 10 times
for(I=0;I<10;I++)
{
printf(Hello);
}

While loop

The syntax for while loop

while(condn)
{
statements;
}
Eg:
a=10;
while(a != 0)
{
printf(%d,a);
a--;
}

Output: 10987654321

Do While loop

The syntax of do while loop

do
{
set of statements
}while(condn);
Eg:
i=10;
do
{
printf(%d,i);
i--;
}while(i!=0)

Output:
10987654321

Conditional statements
if (condition)
{
stmt 1;
}
else
{
stmt 2;
}

//Executes if Condition is true

//Executes if condition is false

Conditional statement
switch(var)
{
case 1:

case 2:

default:
}

//if var=1 this case executes

stmt;
break;
//if var=2 this case executes
stmt;
break;
//if var is something else this will execute
stmt;

Operators

Arithmetic (+,-,*,/,%)
Relational (<,>,<=,>=,==,!=)
Logical (&&,||,!)
Bitwise (&,|)
Assignment (=)
Compound assignment(+=,*=,-=,/=,
%=,&=,|=)
Shift (right shift >>, left shift <<)

String functions
strlen(str) To find length of string str
strrev(str) Reverses the string str as rts
strcat(str1,str2) Appends str2 to str1 and
returns str1
strcpy(st1,st2) copies the content of st2 to st1
strcmp(s1,s2) Compares the two string s1 and
s2
strcmpi(s1,s2) Case insensitive comparison of
strings

Numeric functions

pow(n,x) evaluates n^x

ceil(1.3) Returns 2
floor(1.3) Returns 1
abs(num) Returns absolute value
log(x) - Logarithmic value
sin(x)
cos(x)
tan(x)

Procedures
Procedure is a function whose return type
is void
Functions will have return types int, char,
double, float or even structs and arrays
Return type is the data type of the value
that is returned to the calling point after the
called function execution completes

Functions and Parameters

Syntax of function
Declaration section
<<Returntype>> funname(parameter list);
Definition section
<<Returntype>> funname(parameter list)
{
body of the function
}
Function Call
Funname(parameter);

Example function
#include<stdio.h>
void fun(int a);
int main()
{
fun(10);
}
void fun(int x)
{
printf(%d,x);
}

//declaration

//Call
//definition

Actual and Formal parameters

Actual parameters are those that are used
during a function call
Formal parameters are those that are
used in function definition and function
declaration

Arrays
Arrays fall under aggregate data type
Aggregate More than 1
Arrays are collection of data that belong to
same data type
Arrays are collection of homogeneous
data
Array elements can be accessed by its
position in the array called as index

Arrays
Array index starts with zero
The last index in an array is num 1 where num
is the no of elements in a array
int a[5] is an array that stores 5 integers
a[0] is the first element where as a[4] is the fifth
element
We can also have arrays with more than one
dimension
float a[5][5] is a two dimensional array. It can
store 5x5 = 25 floating point numbers
The bounds are a[0][0] to a[4][4]

Structures
Structures are user defined data types
It is a collection of heterogeneous data
It can have integer, float, double or character data
in it
We can also have array of structures
struct <<structname>>
{
members;
}element;
We can access element.members;

Structures
struct Person
{
int id;
char name[5];
}P1;
P1.id = 1;
P1.name = vasu;

Type def
The typedef operator is used for creating
alias of a data type
For example I have this statement
typedef int integer;
Now I can use integer in place of int
i.e instead of declaring int a;, I can use
integer a;
This is applied for structures too.

Pointers
Pointer is a special variable that stores
address of another variable
Addresses are integers. Hence pointer
stores integer data
Size of pointer = size of int
Pointer that stores address of integer
variable is called as integer pointer and is
declared as int *ip;

Pointers
Pointers that store address of a double,
char and float are called as double pointer,
character pointer and float pointer
respectively.
char *cp
float *fp
double *dp;
Assigning value to a pointer
int *ip = &a; //a is an int already declared

Examples
int a;
a=10;
int *ip;
ip = &a;

//a stores 10
//ip stores address of a (say 1000)

ip :
fetches 1000
*ip :
fetches 10
* Is called as dereferencing operator

Call by Value
Calling a function with parameters passed as
values

int a=10; void fun(int a)

fun(a);
{
defn;
}
Here fun(a) is a call by value.
Any modification done with in the function is local to
it and will not be effected outside the function

Call by reference
Calling a function by passing pointers as
parameters (address of variables is passed
instead of variables)
int a=1;
fun(&a);

void fun(int *x)

{
defn;
}
Any modification done to variable a will effect
outside the function also

Example program Call by

value
#include<stdio.h>
void main()
{
int a=10;
printf(%d,a);
fun(a);
printf(%d,a);
}
void fun(int x)
{
printf(%d,x)
x++;
printf(%d,x);
}

a=10
a=10

x=10
x=11

Explanation

Example Program Call by

reference
#include<stdio.h>
void main()
{
int a=10;
printf(%d,a);
fun(a);
printf(%d,a);
}
void fun(int x)
{
printf(%d,x)
x++;
printf(%d,x);
}

a=10
a=11

x=10
x=11

Explanation

a and x are referring to same location. So

value will be over written.

Conclusion
Call by value => copying value of variable
in another variable. So any change made
in the copy will not affect the original
location.
Call by reference => Creating link for the
parameter to the original location. Since
the address is same, changes to the
parameter will refer to original location and
the value will be over written.