C Programming Language: Foundations and
Essentials
1. Introduction
• C is a general-purpose, procedural programming language created in 1972 by Dennis
Ritchie at Bell Labs.
• Key features:
o Low-level memory access
o High performance and efficiency
o Portability across systems
o Foundation for many modern languages (C++, C#, Java)
2. Basic Syntax
#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
printf("Hello, C!\n");
return 0;
}
• Functions: main() is the entry point
• Statements end with ;
• Comments: // for single line, /* */ for multi-line
3. Data Types & Variables
• Basic types: int, char, float, double
• Modifiers: short, long, unsigned, signed
• Example:
int age = 25;
char grade = 'A';
float height = 5.9;
4. Operators
• Arithmetic: + - * / %
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• Relational: == != > < >= <=
• Logical: && || !
• Assignment: = += -= *= /= %=
5. Control Flow
• If-Else
if (age > 18) {
printf("Adult\n");
} else {
printf("Minor\n");
}
• Switch
switch (grade) {
case 'A': printf("Excellent"); break;
case 'B': printf("Good"); break;
default: printf("Other");
}
• Loops
for(int i=0; i<5; i++) { printf("%d\n", i); }
while(condition) { ... }
do { ... } while(condition);
6. Functions
int add(int a, int b) {
return a + b;
}
int main() {
int result = add(5, 3);
printf("%d\n", result);
return 0;
}
• Functions allow code reuse
• Can return values or be void
7. Arrays & Pointers
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• Arrays
int numbers[5] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
printf("%d\n", numbers[0]);
• Pointers
int x = 10;
int *ptr = &x;
printf("%d\n", *ptr); // 10
• Memory management with malloc and free
8. Structures
struct Person {
char name[50];
int age;
};
struct Person p1 = {"Alice", 25};
printf("%s\n", p1.name);
• Group different types together
• Basis for more complex data structures
9. File I/O
#include <stdio.h>
FILE *fp = fopen("file.txt", "w");
fprintf(fp, "Hello, file!\n");
fclose(fp);
• Open, read, write, and close files using FILE*
• Modes: "r", "w", "a"
10. Advanced Tips
• Always manage memory manually with care
• Use const to prevent unwanted changes
• Learn pointer arithmetic for efficiency
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• Master struct and typedef for readable code
11. Resources
• Official C Reference: https://en.cppreference.com/w/c
• Books: The C Programming Language by Kernighan & Ritchie
• Practice: HackerRank, LeetCode, Codeforces
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