C Programming Basics: Flow Control, Variables, and Pointers

Course details

Released in 1973, C is still at the center of it all. In this course, get a quick introduction to the vocabulary and basics of programming in C, the language that inspired C++, Objective-C, and many others. Instructor Dan Gookin covers flow control, variables, and other basic topics, but also introduces advanced concepts such as pointers and memory allocation. Plus, he provides challenges that allow you to test your learning along the way.

Learning objectives
Recognize how to obtain a compiler and IDE.
Determine the basics of C code.
Identify how to add comments to the code.
Break down how to work with escape sequences.
Examine when is the best time to introduce variables.
Recognize when the components of working with strings.
Evaluate how to make calculations.

Concepts

Introduction

Programming foundations in C

Hello World

Understanding the process
Obtaining a compiler and IDE
Compiling a sample program
Reviewing the C language

The Basics

Introducing C code
Sending text to output
Challenge - Add a puts() statement
Solution - Add a puts() statement
Adding comments to the code
Exploring the printf() function
Challenge - Add a new line
Solution - Add a new line
Working with escape sequences
Challenge - Use escape sequences
Solution - Use escape sequences
Working with values and placeholders
Introducing variables
Experimenting with variables
Using character I O
Exploring the scanf() function
Working with strings
Understanding arithmetic in C
Doing math
Making more calculations
Challenge - Math quiz
Solution - Math quiz

Flow Control

Making a decision with if
Making multiple decisions
Challenge - Make a decision
Solution - Make a decision
Looping with while
Repeating chunks of code with for
Challenge - Output a series of numbers
Solution - Output a series of numbers
Nested loops
Understanding functions
Adding a function
Passing values to a function
Challenge - Evaluate a number
Solution - Evaluate a number
Returning a value from a function

Intermediate Concepts

Manipulating single characters
Using logical operators
Manipulating strings
Challenge - Build a string
Solution - Build a string
Exploring constant expressions
Understanding arrays
Creating multidimensional arrays
Challenge - Add a dimension to an array
Solution - Add a dimension to an array
Understanding structures

Advanced Concepts

Exploring variables
Understanding pointers
Using pointers
Challenge - Create a char pointer
Solution - Create a char pointer
Accessing arrays with pointers
Creating pointer functions
Working with pointer arrays
Allocating memory
Challenge - Write a Hello program
Solution - Write a Hello program

Conclusion

Continue exploring C programming