Structured Programming Syllabus - BIM (TU)

Module Objectives

This module aims to introduce students to the discipline of computing with a focus on good program design, programming styles, and structured program development using a high-level programming language. The students shall also be introduced to the basic concepts in procedural abstraction, structured programming and top-down design with stepwise refinement. Laboratory work is essential in this module.

Contents:

Introduction to the C Language, Data Types and Variables, Input/Output Management, Expressions and operators, Selection statements, Loops, Arrays, Modular Programming with Functions, Pointers and Strings, Structures and Dynamic Memory Allocation, The Preprocessor, and File Input/Output

Detailed Course

Introduction to the C Language                                                                    [3hrs]

• The C Language and its Advantages
• The Structure of a C Program, Writing C Programs, Debugging a C Program
• Examining and Running a C Application Program

Data Types and Variables                                                                  [3hrs]

• Data Types (integer, floating, character, type conversion, type definitions, sizeof operator)

Input/Output Management                                                              [3hrs]

• Input/Output Management: printf(), scanf()
• Conversion specifiers
• Escape sequences

Expressions and operators                                                                [5hrs]

• Arithmetic operators: operator precedence and associativity
• Assignment operators
• Increment and decrement operators
• Expression evaluation
• Expression statements
• Relational operator, logical operator, arithmetic assignment,

Selection statements                                                                         [4hrs]

• Logical expressions
• If statement
• Switch statement

Loops                                                                                                  [4hrs]

• While
• .while
• For
• Exiting from a loop (break, continue, goto)

Arrays                                                                                                 [3hrs]

• One-dimensional array
• Multidimensional array

Modular Programming with Functions                                                        [4hrs]

• Defining and calling functions
• Function declarations
• Arguments
• Return statement
• Program termination (exit function)

Pointers and Strings                                                                          [4hrs]

• Pointer variables
• The address and indirection operators
• Pointer assignment
• Pointer as argument
• Pointer as return values
• Pointer Arithmetic
• Using pointers for array processing
• String literals, variables
• Reading and writing strings
• Using the C string library: strcpy, strlen, strcat, strcmp
• Arrays of strings

Structures and Dynamic Memory Allocation                                               [4hrs]

• Structures, Arrays of Structures
• Passing Structures to Functions
• Nested Structures
• Unions
• enumerations
• Dynamic Memory Allocation (malloc, calloc, realloc)
• Deallocating storage
• Linked list (-> operator, creating, displaying, searching)

The Preprocessor                                                                               [4hrs]

• How the preprocessor works
• The C Preprocessor and the #include and #define Directives
• Macro definitions (simple, parameterized macros), general properties of macros
• #if and #endif directives
• The defined operator

File Input/Output                                                                              [4hrs]

• Streams: file pointers, standard streams and redirection, text files versus binary files
• File operations: opening a file, modes, closing a file, attaching a file to an open stream, obtaining file names from the command line
• File Input and Output, reading/writing data, structure to files, random access

Text Book:

1. N. King, K.N. King, C Programming: A Modern Approach, W W Norton & Co Inc (February 1996)

Brian W. Kernighan, Dennis M. Ritchie ,C Programming Language, 2nd Edition Prentice Hall; 2 edition (April 1, 1988)

Reference book:

• David Griffiths, Dawn Griffiths, Head First C, O'Reilly Media; 1 edition (April 19, 2012)
• Clovis L. Tondo (Author), Scott E. Gimpel (Author), “The C Answer Book: Solutions to the Exercises in 'The C Programming Language,' Second Edition”, Prentice Hall; 2nd edition (November 11, 1988)
• Peter van der Linden, Expert C Programming: Deep C Secrets, Prentice Hall; 1st edition (June 24, 1994)