C: A lot like Java

Datatypes
int, float, .. (as in Java)
char* (instead of String)
Exercise Lecture 11. January no boolean
Functions
(0 is false, everything else true)

almost like static Java methods

Introduction to C Program start in “main(…)”
First exercise Loops & flow control (for, while, if, else, switch)
like Java, except “for” which cannot be used to declare
variables
by Fredrik Orderud for (int i=0; i < size; i++) {...} //ERROR Compile your program
int i; as C++ to avoid this
for (i=0; i < size; i++) {...} // Correct limitation ☺

C and C++ Header files (.h/.hpp)

C is not object oriented
No methods, only functions. Used to declare data types, structures,
E.g. “add(list, obj)” (function call – C/C++/Java) instead of
“list.add(obj)” (method call, using reference – C++/Java) or
“list->add(obj)” (method call, using pointer – C++)
constants and functions.
No inheritance or polymorphism
No public/protected/private member/method encapsulation
Contains interface, but not implementation.
C also has a very limited API compared to e.g. Java Make sure to avoid multiple includes by
Limited to string processing, file I/O and basic math.
But, it is easy to use external libraries, since almost all software libraries are surrounding header-files by #ifndef, #define, …,
written with a C interface. Other languages usually rely on “C-wrappers” to gain
access to external libraries. #endif
The C++ programming language is an “extension” that turns C into a fully
fledged object oriented language.
C++ is a very flexible and powerful programming language which features
(nearly) all the advantages of Java (except garbage collection), without
sacrificing any low-level control.
Most applications, and nearly all operating systems in use today are written in C
or C++.
 complex.h

Source files (.c/.cpp)

Standard I/O
library
Contains function implementation
Program
Contains the actual program code starts in main(..)
Use #include to gain access to functionality complex.c main.c
described in header-files (almost like “import” in
java).
#include “header_file.h” for your own code
#include <library.h> to include libraries

Output:
Value: (7.000000, -1.000000i).

Structures Console Input/Output

Structure members

Used to create new Use library <stdio.h>

#include <stdio.h>
datatypes (consisting
of existing datatypes) printf(…)
Like a class without Prints text - like System.out.PrintLine(...)
Typename
printf(“Hello world.\n”); // ‘\n’ yields newline
methods int val = 7;
printf(“The number is %d”, val);
scanf(...)
WARNING: Members Reads text - like System.in.ReadLine(…)
are not initialized to char string[128];
scanf(“%s”, string); //reads a line of text
zero, as in Java. int val;
scanf(“%d”, &val); //reads an integer
Pointers - “*” and “&” Function Parameters
Contains memory address of a variable (or function) Parameters are
instead of variable value
Used in dynamic memory management
passed by value,
Very useful for handling arrays meaning a local copy
Enables us to avoid copying function arguments is created
Pass a pointer as
complex c;
complex *pc = &c;
parameter if you want
“&c” gives the memory address of variable c to:
(*pc).re = 3; Avoids copying
“*pc” gives value of the variable the pointer points to Modifications to the
pc->im = 4; parameter will have
An convenient shortcut for “(*pc).im” permanent effect

Text Strings and Arrays Preprocessor - “#” fun ☺

Datatype: The preprocessor is a “search & replace” routine
char* or char[] that is executed prior to compilation.
Example It prepares the code for the compiler
char text[] = “Hello”;
Replaces #define constants with actual values
text[0] == ‘H’;
Copies header-files into source-files, by replacing
Zero terminated!
determines end of string
#include entries
text[1] == ‘e’;
*(text+2) == ‘l’; Notice: no “=“ sign
(C has no built-in support for
text[3] == ‘l’; determining the length of Example:
text[4] == ‘o’; strings and arrays) #define PI 3.1415927
text[5] == ‘\0’; Somewhere in your code:
float val = PI;
text[i] is a syntactic shortcut for *(text+i)
References Exercise #1: Getting started

We recommend you to buy a “C”-book to use as Simple exercise to get you started with C-programming
Task 1:
language reference throughout the course Configure your development environment.
“The C Programming Language”, by Brian Kernighan Write a “Hello world” program.
and Dennis Ritchie is the reference for C programming. Task 2:
Most other books will, however, also suffice. Pick one Write a “Guess a number between 1 and 100” program.
you like. Separate program into several functions in separate source-files
(probably overkill, but useful for learning)
A “C”-reference will come in handy in later Learn how to use printf(…) to display output, and scanf(…) for
programming-intensive courses. reading keyboard input.
The C standard library API is linked to from the course Task 3:
Create a “3D-vector” datastructure, and implement functions for
website. vector addition, subtraction, as well as dot- and cross-product.
Write some code that demonstrates this functionality.

Development Options Command-line Compiling with gcc

Executable name
Integrated development environment (IDE) gcc -o filename
E.g. Visual Studio in Windows or Xcode in OS-X. Source code
Streamlines the development process, with features file1.c file2.c .. fileN.c
like graphical debuggers, and “play”-button for
compiling and program execution. -l<lib> {-static}
Read “visual studio getting started guide” on course Libraries & settings
website to get yourself started if using Windows.
Text editor and “Makefile”s Example:
E.g. Emacs and gcc in Linux
gcc -o program program.c formulas.c –lm
Edit source-code in text editors.
Compile program from command line using Makefile ./program
scripts. Link to math library
for sin/cos/sqrt
functions etc.
Makefiles for gcc

Makes frequent compiling easier

Simple “Makefile” content:

make
compiles program (executes “default” script)
./main
executes program