Study Material
C Programming Basics
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Topic: Declarations, Input/Output Functions, Header Files
1. Variable Declaration in C
A variable is a named memory location used to store data during program execution.
Syntax:
data_type variable_name;
Examples:
int a; // declares an integer variable
float b; // declares a float variable
char ch; // declares a character variable
Data Type Description Example
int Integer numbers int age = 20;
float Decimal numbers float pi = 3.14;
char Single character char grade = 'A';
double Double precision float double value = 0.123456;
2. Variable Initialization
You can assign a value to a variable at the time of declaration:
Syntax:
variable = value;
Example:
int a = 10;
3. Common Declaration Mistakes
Mistake Example Correct Form
Missing semicolon int a int a;
Missing assignment operator int a 5; int a = 5;
Wrong data type used num a = 10; int a = 10;
Re-declaring same variable int a; int a; int a;
Using a reserved word as name int int = 5; Use another name
4. Input/Output Functions in C
printf() – Used to display output
int a = 5;
printf("Value of a = %d", a);
scanf() – Used to accept input
int a;
scanf("%d", &a); // %d for int, &a is the address of a
Format Specifier Data Type
%d int
%f float
%c char
%s string (char array)
Common scanf() Errors:
Error Example Correct Form
Forgetting & in scanf() scanf("%d", a); scanf("%d", &a);
Wrong format specifier scanf("%f", &a); where a is int scanf("%d", &a);
5. Header Files in C
Header files contain predefined functions (declarations) used in your program.
Header File Purpose Examples of Functions
<stdio.h> Standard Input/Output printf(), scanf()
<conio.h> Console I/O (Turbo C only) clrscr(), getch()
<math.h> Mathematical functions sqrt(), pow()
<string.h> String handling strlen(), strcpy()
6. Common Errors in C Programming
Error Type Example Description
Missing semicolon int a = 5 Every statement must
end with ;
Using undeclared variable x = 5; Variable x must be
declared first
Forgetting & in scanf() scanf("%d", a); Should be scanf("%d",
&a);
Mismatched specifier scanf("%d", &x); where Use %f instead
x is float
Using reserved keywords as int int = 5; Invalid use of keyword
variable names
7. Clarity on Special Functions (Turbo C)
Functio Purpose
n
clrscr() Clears the console screen
getch() Waits for a key press (used to pause)
These are available in <conio.h> and mostly used in Turbo C.
8. Commenting in C
Use comments to explain code (ignored by compiler).
● Single-line:
// This is a comment
● Multi-line:
/*
This is a multi-line comment
Useful for documentation
*/
9. Rules for Naming Variables
● Must begin with a letter or underscore _
● Can contain letters, digits, underscores
● Cannot use C keywords (int, float, etc.)
● Case-sensitive (Score and score are different)
✅ Valid: marks, _total, num1
❌ Invalid: 1num, float, my-name
Points to remember:
● printf() is for output, scanf() is for input.
● %d, %f, %c, %s → match format with variable type.
● Always include the required header files like <stdio.h>.
● Semicolon ; is mandatory after every statement.
● Use comments to make code readable.
● Variables must be declared before use.
● Always end a statement with ;
● Use & with scanf() for variables
● Match format specifiers with variable types
● Include proper header files at the top
● Variable names cannot be keywords like int, float, etc.
