C Programming

Course Title: C Programming

Course No: BCA 102

Nature of the Course: Theory + Lab

Semester: 1

Full Marks: 20 + 20 + 60

Pass Marks: 8 + 8 + 24

Credit Hours: 3

Course Description

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the C programming language, a foundational tool in computer science and software development. Emphasizing structured and procedural programming techniques, the course covers the core concepts of C including variables, data types, operators, control structures, arrays, functions, pointers, structures, unions, and file handling. Students will gain practical skills in writing efficient, modular, and error-free code, reinforced through hands-on lab sessions. The course is designed to develop algorithmic thinking, problem-solving ability, and a strong understanding of how memory and low-level operations work in modern computing environments. This course provides the essential groundwork for more advanced programming for software development, algorithms, and systems programming.

Course Objectives

The main objective of this course is to provide students both the theoretical foundation and practical knowledge of programming logic using C programming language.

Course Contents

1. Introduction to C programming language and basics

5 hrs

1.1. Evolution of programming languages

1.2. History, characteristics and applications of C

1.3. Structure of a C program

1.4. Compilation and execution process of a C program

1.5. C Tokens: Keywords, identifiers, constants, string literals, operators

1.6. Variables: Declaration, initialization, scope, and lifetime

1.7. Data Types: Basic data types (int, char, float, double, void), derived data types, user-defined data types

1.8. Type Casting: Implicit and explicit type conversion

1.9. Operators and Expressions: Arithmetic, relational, logical, bitwise, assignment, increment/decrement, conditional (ternary), special operators (sizeof, comma, address-of, dereference). Operator precedence and associativity

2. Input/Output and Control Structures

11 hrs

2.1. Standard Input and Output Functions

Formatted I/O: printf() and scanf()

Unformatted I/O Functions: Character I/O (getchar(), putchar(), getch(), getche(), putch())

2.2. Control Structures

2.3. Decision Making Statements

if statement

if-else statement

Nested if-else statement

else-if ladder

switch statement

Conditional operator (? :)

2.4. Looping Statements

while loop

do-while loop

for loop

Nested loops

2.5. Jump Statements

break statement

continue statement

goto statement

3. Functions, Arrays and String

11 hrs

3.1. Functions

Introduction to functions: Advantages, function definition, function declaration/prototype

function call

Types of functions: Library functions vs. User-defined functions

Function arguments: Call by value, Call by reference

Recursion: Concepts and examples

3.2. Arrays

Introduction to arrays: Declaration, initialization, accessing elements

One-dimensional arrays: Processing and examples

Two-dimensional arrays: Declaration, initialization, accessing elements (matrix operations)

Multi-dimensional arrays

Arrays and functions

3.3. Strings

Introduction to strings: Declaration, initialization

String input/output(gets,puts)

String handling functions(strlen,strrev,strcpy,strupr,strlwr,strcmp,strcat)

Array of strings

4. Structures, Unions, and Enumerations

5 hrs

4.1. Structures and Unions

Defining and declaring structures

Accessing members, including nested structures, arrays of structures

Passing structures to functions

Defining and declaring unions; comparison with structures

4.2. Enumerations (Enums) and typedef implementation

5. Pointers and Memory Management

5 hrs

5.1. Pointer declaration, initialization, and dereferencing

Pointer arithmetic

Pointers with arrays, strings, function, structure

5.2. Dynamic memory allocation: malloc, calloc, realloc, free

5.3. DMA with structure

5.4. Dangling pointers and memory leaks

6. File Handling, Command-Line Arguments, and Graphics

11 hrs

6.1. File Handling

Concepts of files (text vs. binary) and file operations (opening, closing, reading, writing)

File modes and standard I/O functions (fgetc, fputc, fgets, fputs, fprintf, fscanf, fread, fwrite)

Random access (fseek, ftell, rewind) and error handling

6.2. Command-Line Arguments

Introduction to main() function parameters (argc, argv)

Passing and accessing arguments from the command line

6.3. Graphics in C

Introduction to graphics programming (basic concepts, graphics modes)

Drawing primitives: Points, lines, and common geometric shapes (rectangles, circles, ellipses, arcs, polygons)

Managing colors and fill styles for graphical output

Displaying and formatting text in graphics mode

Fundamentals of simple animation (clearing the screen, redrawing elements, using delays)

Laboratory Works

The practical component will reinforce theoretical concepts through hands-on programming exercises. A minimum of 48 hours (3 hours/week for 16 weeks) will be dedicated to practical sessions. Students are expected to complete assignments on a weekly basis.

Familiarization with a C IDE (e.g., Code::Blocks, Visual Studio Code with GCC, Eclipse CDT, Dev-C++, Turbo C++).
Understanding the compilation and execution process.
Debugging techniques
Emphasis on practical application for complex topics, especially Pointers and File Handling, to ensure thorough understanding.

1.Fundamental Programming Constructs
2.Control Flow Mechanisms
3.Functions and Modularity
4.Array and String Manipulation
5.Pointers and Dynamic Memory
6.Structured Data Types
7.File Operations
8.Command-Line Interaction
9.Basic Graphics Programming

Text Books

1.Deitel, P. J., & Deitel, H. M. (n.d.). C how to program (Latest ed.). Pearson Education.
2.Kernighan, B. W., & Ritchie, D. M. (n.d.). The C programming language (Latest ed.). Prentice Hall.
3.Prata, S. (n.d.). C primer plus (Latest ed.). Pearson Education.

Reference Books

1.Balagurusamy, E. (n.d.). Programming in ANSI C (Latest ed.). Tata McGraw-Hill Education.

Programming in C

Programming in C

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C Programming

Course Description

Course Objectives

Course Contents

Laboratory Works

Text Books

Reference Books