Ch 1: C Language Fundamentals & Logic - C Programming Language

Course Overview | C Programming Language

Chapter 1

C Language Fundamentals & Logic

Understand variables, data types, operators, conditional branches, loops, functions, and pointers.

C Programming: Logic & Foundation

C was developed by Dennis Ritchie in 1972 at Bell Laboratories. It is a procedural, compiled, middle-level programming language that directly interacts with system hardware.

Structure of a C Program:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    // Variable declaration
    int roll = 101;
    float marks = 88.5;
    char grade = 'A';
    
    printf("Roll: %d | Marks: %.1f | Grade: %c\n", roll, marks, grade);
    return 0;
}

Format Specifiers:

%d or %i: Signed integer
%f: Floating point number
%c: Single character
%s: String (character array)
%p: Memory address pointer

Hands-on Laboratory Procedures & Shortcuts

Follow the steps below to practice directly on your computer.

Loops & Logic Program: Fibonacci Series

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int n = 10, t1 = 0, t2 = 1, nextTerm;
    printf("Fibonacci Series: %d, %d", t1, t2);
    
    for (int i = 3; i <= n; ++i) {
        nextTerm = t1 + t2;
        printf(", %d", nextTerm);
        t1 = t2;
        t2 = nextTerm;
    }
    printf("\n");
    return 0;
}

Watch the video class above while following along with the practical exercises.

Key Summary & Revision Bullet Points

Quick cheat-sheet to review before online examinations.

• Entry Point: Execution always starts at main().
• Pointers: A pointer is a variable that stores the memory address of another variable (e.g. int *ptr = #).
• sizeof() operator returns the size in bytes allocated for a datatype or variable.

Frequently Asked Viva & Exam Questions

Review these standard questions frequently asked in diploma exams and job interviews.

Q1: What is a Pointer in C?
Ans: A pointer is a variable that holds the memory address of another variable. The address-of operator & fetches the address, while the dereference operator * accesses the value stored at that address.

Q2: What is the difference between malloc() and calloc()?
Ans: malloc() allocates a single block of uninitialized memory containing garbage values. calloc() allocates multiple blocks and initializes every byte to zero.

Interactive Chapter Quiz

Test your mastery immediately! Click an option to see instant answer feedback.

Q1 Who developed the C programming language in 1972?

A. Bjarne Stroustrup

B. Dennis Ritchie

C. James Gosling

D. Guido van Rossum

Q2 Which format specifier is used to print an integer in C?

A. %c

B. %f

C. %d

D. %s

Q3 Which operator is used to obtain the memory address of a variable in C?

A. *

B. &

C. ->

D. #

Q4 Which function is used to dynamically allocate memory initialized to zero?

A. malloc()

B. calloc()

C. realloc()

D. free()

Q5 What is the correct syntax to terminate every statement in C?

A. Period (.)

B. Colon (:)

C. Semicolon (;)

D. Comma (,)

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