C Programming Concepts and VIVA Prep

Vocabulary flashcards covering problem-solving strategies, the C compilation process, errors, data types, and operators.

Problem Solving in Programming

The process of understanding a problem and developing a logical solution that can be implemented as a program.

Algorithm

A finite sequence of well-defined steps used to solve a problem.

Characteristics of a Good Algorithm

Finiteness, definiteness, input, output, effectiveness, and correctness.

Flowchart

A graphical representation of an algorithm using standard symbols.

Pseudocode

An informal, language-independent description of an algorithm.

Debugging

The process of finding and correcting errors in a program.

Testing

Executing a program with different inputs to verify whether it produces the expected results.

Compilation

Translation of source code into machine-understandable code.

C Compilation Flow

The multi-step process of converting C source code to an executable: program.c → Preprocessor → Compiler → Assembler → Linker → Executable.

Preprocessor

A compilation stage component that processes directives such as #include, #define, and conditional compilation.

Source Code

The C program written by the programmer, generally stored in a .c file.

Object Code

Machine-level code produced before the final executable is linked.

Linker

A compilation tool that combines object code with required library code to produce an executable.

Library in C

A collection of predefined functions that can be used by programs.

Linker Error

An error that occurs if a required function definition cannot be found during linking.

Executable File

The final machine-code program that can be run by the operating system.

Syntax Error

An error caused by violating the grammatical rules of C, such as omitting a semicolon.

Semantic Error

An error where the program may be syntactically valid, but its meaning or operation is incorrect.

Runtime Error

An error that occurs while the program is executing.

Variable

A named memory location used to store a value.

Rules for Naming Variables in C

Identifiers can use letters, digits, and underscores (_); cannot start with a digit; cannot contain spaces; and cannot use C keywords.

Data Type

Specifies the kind of value a variable can store and the operations applicable to it.

sizeof Operator

An operator in C that gives the size of an object or type in bytes.

Declaration

A statement that specifies the name and type of a variable, e.g., int age;.

Initialization

Giving a variable its initial value at the time of declaration, e.g., int age = 20;.

Constant

A value that does not change during a particular computation.

Character Constant vs. String Literal

'A' is a character constant enclosed in single quotes, whereas "A" is a string literal.

Modulus Operator (%)

An arithmetic operator that returns the remainder of integer division and requires integer operands.

Boolean Values in C

C considers zero as false and any non-zero value as true in a conditional context.

Increment and Decrement Operators

Operators ++ and -- that increase or decrease a variable's value by $1$, respectively.

Prefix vs. Postfix Operators

Prefix (e.g., ++i) changes the variable before its value is used in the expression; postfix (e.g., i++) yields the old value first, then increments the variable.

Bitwise Operators

Operators (&, |, ^, ~, <

Expression

A combination of operands and operators that produces a value.

Expression vs. Statement

An expression computes a value, whereas a statement performs an action or control step in the program.

Conditional Operator (Ternary Operator)

The operator ?: which uses three operands following the syntax: condition ? expression1 : expression2.