C for Experienced Programmers Training

Delegates must have professional programming skills and a good working knowledge of a C-like language together with the usual skills in a block-structured language, such as Basic/Visual Basic, Pascal/Modula2, Fortran, Algol or PL/1, and be familiar with a programming environment.

Please note: Before attending this class delegates must have a Microsoft account (signing up one is free). The instructions on how to set up a Microsoft account can be found here.

At the end of this course you will be able to:

• Use all the major elements of the C language
• Write programs using the strengths of the C language, for example aggregate types, pointers and dynamic data structures
• Write and use the data structuring features of the language, which can result in better program design and maintenance
• Work with the C run-time library: a major source of programmer productivity and portability
• Dealing with errors, both by spotting and remedying common programming errors and using C's error handling facilities
• Write in a good C programming style without compromising efficiency and integrity

An Overview of C

• History and evolution of C; Key characteristics of C

Writing a Simple Program

• Program structure; Data and code statements; C software development life cycle

Data Types, Operators and Expressions

• Scalar types; Variables and constants; Storage considerations; Initialising variables; Standard arithmetic operators; Increment, decrement, assignment and relational operators; Automatic and programmer-controlled type conversion; Introduction to evaluation points

Control Flow

• Boolean expressions; While, Do and For loops; Looping style considerations; If, Else and Switch statements; Other statements affecting flow of control; Decision-making style considerations

Functions and Program Structure

• Inter-function communication; Function prototypes, calls and definitions; Scope and storage classes, stack; recursion

Structured Data Types

• Arrays, strings, structures and unions; Nested data structures

Pointers

• The concept of indirection; Pointers and address arithmetic; Pointers and functions; pointers and const

Pointers and Data Structures

• Pointers and arrays; Pointers and structures; Linked Lists; Overview of Queue and Tree Structures

Preprocessor

• Tokens and macros; Include files; Conditional compilation, File Guarding; operators

Input and Output

• Using run-time routines; Character and formatted I/O; File I/O; Block I/O

Further Data Types, Pointers and Error Handling

• Bit manipulation; User-defined types; Function Pointers, asserts and errno

Working with Larger Programs

• C and modular programming; Linkage; Cs standard library

The Way Ahead

• Further C information sources; Support after this course