Lecture 2: C basics

Today, we start to learn about the C programming language.

Hardware and software

Optional reading: chapter 1

Key ideas:

Hardware: memory cells, bits, bytes, memory addresses, RAM vs. ROM, CPU
Software: operating systems, application software
Computer languages: machine language, assembly language, high level languages
Compiling your C programs: source file, compiler, object file, linker, executable file

C overview

Optional reading: chapter 2.1-2.6

Key ideas:

Parts of a C program: preprocessor directives (#include and #define), main function, declarations vs executable statements
Variable declarations and data types
Use gcc -o [executable_filename] -Wall [c_filename] to compile your program and ./[executable_filename] to run
Assignment statements
Comments and whitespace
printf and scanf: placeholders (%), float formating
Newline and tab: \n and \t
Arithmetic expressions

Programming errors

Optional reading: chapter 2.8

Key ideas:

Four different types of errors: syntax errors, runtime errors, undetected errors, and logic errors