C Programming Concepts Flashcards

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering C programming syntax, operators, memory management, file I/O, and historical facts based on the theory exam questions.

do-while loop sequence

The execution sequence consisting of Initialization, execution of body, and then testing.

C Build Process

The correct sequence where source code is translated into an exe file, consisting of Pre-processor, Compiler, and then Linker.

Passing large objects by value

A method of passing data to functions, such as structure variables, that can be very expensive compared to passing by reference.

malloc() and free()

Functions used for dynamic memory management; memory allocated by malloc can be freed using the free(p) statement.

for loop execution order

The three parts of the loop expression executed in the order of Initialization, Test, and then Incrementation.

unsigned long

A data type capable of holding the largest positive value among standard integer-based types like unsigned short or unsigned char.

exit() function

A function used to exit from the main() function or the entire program.

strcmp()

A library function that returns $0$ if two strings are identical.

Pointer operators

The two primary operators are $\&$ (Address of operator) and $*$ (Value at address operator).

Escape sequence

A character sequence that always starts with the backslash "$\setminus$" character.

pragma pack

A pre-processor directive used to change the size of a structure, such as changing a $12$ byte structure to $9$ bytes on a $32$ bit platform.

continue

The statement used to take the control to the beginning of the loop.

ifdef and #endif

Directives used for conditional compilation during the pre-processing stage.

Nesting limit for structures

The maximum level to which structures can be nested, which is $15$.

Dennis Ritchie

The individual credited with the development of the C language.

stdlib.h

The specific header file that must be included to use the malloc() function.

file opening mode "w+b"

A mode used to open files for writing new contents, reading them back, and modifying existing contents in binary mode.

file opening mode "a+t"

A mode used to open a text file for reading existing contents and appending new contents to the end without modifying existing contents.

Bitwise Left Shift ($<<$)

A bitwise operator that can be used to multiply a number by powers of $2$.

Storage Class Precedence

The rule stating that if a variable is defined as both extern (global) and local, the local variable gets preference within its function.

Arithmetic Instruction Parentheses

In C arithmetic instructions, the only allowed grouping symbols are parentheses "$( )$".

ISO standard specification

The standard a developer must follow to ensure a C program can be compiled across different operating systems.

B Language

The first language used for the development of the Unix operating system before C.

Register variable address

A characteristic of register storage class where the address of the variable is not accessible because it is stored in a register.

Operator Evaluation Order

In the absence of parentheses, expressions are evaluated in the order of arithmetic, then relational, and finally assignment operators.