Libraries

PhD. Vo Hong Khanh (khanhvh@fpt.edu.vn)

[PFC] Libraries 1
 CON
1 What is library in C?

2 Standard (stdlib.h)

TENT
N T

3 Time (time.h)
TE

4 Math (math.h)

5 Character (ctype.h)
C ON

[PFC] Libraries 2
 What is library in C?
• Many basic tasks are very hard for programming beginners.
• The standard C libraries include functions to perform
mathematical calculations, character analysis and character
manipulation…
• Library header files have the extension .h
• Library binary files are implemented in files with specific
filenames which are named by designers of tool suppliers
(you may not know their names) and they are linked to your
programs when they are compiled.

Lib.h include File.c compile File.obj link File.exe

Library binary code

Steps for creating a program
[PFC] Libraries 3
 stdlib.h

[PFC] Libraries 4
 The Standard Library: stdlib.h
int abs(int) long labs(long) Get absolute value of integral number
void exit(int code) Force the program terminating
int system(const char* programName) Request a program to execute
int rand(void) int srand(unsigned int seed)
Get a random integer in [0...RAND_MAX]
In Codeblocks (RAND_MAX=0x7FFF), start up the soft random mechanism
Functions for dynamic memory allocating
They are presented in the previous lecture
char* itoa(int num, char* result, int base)
char* ltoa(long num, char* result, int base)
Convert integral number to ASCII string
int atoi(const char*) long atol(const char*) double atof(const char*)

Convert an ASCII string to number

[PFC] Libraries 5
 Randomize
• Hardware randomize
This mechanism is supported by the hardware
 Random sequence is the same in each time it
performs.
• Software randomize
A mechanism for generating a sequence of
random number based on a mathematic
algorithm using a initial number – seed (It is
presented in the subject Discrete Mathematics).
So, the random sequence is different in each
time it performs.
[PFC] Libraries 6
/* stdlib_demo.c */
#include <stdio.h> Example
#include <stdlib.h> 0  value  b-a b-a
The 1st time running
#include <time.h>
int main() {
int i, a=5, b=50;
double x=3.5, y=20.8; a  value  b
printf("10 Hardware random integers:\n"); 0 a b
for (i=0; i<10; i++) printf("%d ", rand());
/* Init randomise using system time-miliseconds
Each time the program executes, the system time changes.
So, random sequence changes */
srand(time(NULL));
printf("\n\n10
The Software random integers:\n");
2nd time running
for (i=0; i<10; i++) printf("%d ", rand());
printf("\n\n10 random integers between:%d...%d\n", a, b);
for (i=0; i<10; i++) printf("%d ", a + rand() % (b-a));
printf("\n\n5 random double between:%lf...%lf\n", x, y);
for (i=0; i<5; i++)
printf("%lf ", x + ((y-x) * (double)rand()/RAND_MAX));
getchar(); 0 <= value < 1
}
[PFC] Libraries 7
 time.h

[PFC] Libraries 8
 The Time Library: time.h
• Date and time information is presented in computer
using an integral number. It is usually the data type
long.
• A clock tick is the unit by which processor time is
measured and is returned by 'clock'.
• CLOCKS_PER_SEC: Number of clock ticks per
second. A constant is defined in time.h (in
Codeblocks, CLOCKS_PER_SEC = 1000 means that
1 clock tick = 1 milisecond).
• 2 data type are defined in the library time.h:
−time_t : (in Codeblocks: typedef long time_t;)
−clock_t: (in Codeblocks: typedef long clock_t;)

[PFC] Libraries 9
 time.h # Functions
time_t time (time_t *tptr);
Returns the current calendar time and this time is stored in it’s parameter.

double difftime (time_t, time_t);

returns the difference in seconds between two calendar time arguments.

clock_t clock (void);

Returns the current date time information using the unit clock tick.

We can use these function to evaluate time cost for an

algorithm.

[PFC] Libraries 10
 /* time_demo.c */
/* Evaluate time cost of 1000000000 mathematic operations */
#include <stdio.h>
#include <time.h>
int main() {
int i; int n=1; double x=1.5;
Example
/* Use time_t data type */
time_t t1 = time(NULL); /* Get current time */
for (i=0; i<1000000000; i++) x = x+1;
time_t t2 = time(NULL); /* Get current time */
double dt = difftime(t2, t1);
printf("\nCost of 1 billion real number adding operations: %lf
sec\n", dt);
t1 = time(NULL); /* Get current time */
for (i=0; i<1000000000; i++) n = n+1;
t2 = time(NULL); /* Get current time */
dt = difftime(t2, t1);
printf("\nCost of 1 billion integral number adding operations:
%lf sec\n", dt);
/* Use clock_t data type */
n = 1;
clock_t ct1 = clock(); /* Get current time */
for (i=0; i<1000000000; i++) n = n+1;
clock_t ct2 = clock(); /* Get current time */
printf("\nCost of 1 billion integral number adding operations:
%ld ticks\n", ct2 - ct1);
printf("\nor %lf secs\n", ((double)(ct2 - ct1)/CLOCKS_PER_SEC));
getchar();
}
[PFC] Libraries 11
 math.h

[PFC] Libraries 12
 The Math Library # Constants
#define M_E 2.7182818284590452354
#define M_LOG2E 1.4426950408889634074
#define M_LOG10E 0.43429448190325182765
#define M_LN2 0.69314718055994530942
#define M_LN10 2.30258509299404568402
#define M_PI 3.14159265358979323846
#define M_PI_2 1.57079632679489661923
#define M_PI_4 0.78539816339744830962
#define M_1_PI 0.31830988618379067154
#define M_2_PI 0.63661977236758134308
#define M_2_SQRTPI 1.12837916709551257390
#define M_SQRT2 1.41421356237309504880
#define M_SQRT1_2 0.70710678118654752440
[PFC] Libraries 13
 The Math Library # Functions
Functions Description
double fabs(double) Compute absolute value
float fabsf(float) double v = abs(-5.5); // v = 5.5
double floor(double) Round down value
float floorf(float) double v = floor(16.7); // v = 16.0
double ceil(double) Round up value
float ceilf(float) double v = ceil(12.1); // v = 13.0
double round(double) Round to nearest
float roundf(float) double v1 = round(1.1); // v1 = 1.0
double v2 = round(1.6); // v2 = 2.0
double trunc(double) Truncate value
float truncf(float) double v = round(124.9); // v = 124.0
long double truncl(long double)
double sqrt(double) Compute square root
float sqrtf(float) double v = sqrt(15);
long double sqrtl(long double)
// v = 4.24264068711928514640506617262

[PFC] Libraries 14
 The Math Library # Functions
Functions Description
sin, cos, tan, asin, acos, atan Trigonometric functions
double pow(double base, Compute absolute value
double exponent) double v = abs(-5.5); // v = 5.5
float powf(float base,
float exponent)
long double powl(long double base,
long double exponent)
double log(double) Round down value
float logf(float) double v = floor(16.7); // v = 16.0
long double logl(long double)
double exp(double) Round up value
float expf(float) double v = ceil(12.1); // v = 13.0
long double expl(long double)

[PFC] Libraries 15
 /* math_demo.c */
#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>
int main() {
double x = 15.3, y =-2.6;
Example
printf("floor : %lf, %lf\n", floor(x), floor(y));
printf("ceil : %lf, %lf\n", ceil(x), ceil(y));
printf("round : %lf, %lf\n", round(x), round(y));
printf("trunc : %lf, %lf\n", trunc(x), trunc(y));
printf("sqrt : %lf\n", sqrt(x));
printf("pow - x^y: %lf\n", pow(x,y));
printf("exp - e^x: %lf\n", exp(x));
printf("log(x) : %lf\n", log(x));
printf("log2(x) : %lf\n", log(x) / log(2));
getchar();
}

[PFC] Libraries 16
 ctype.h

[PFC] Libraries 17
 The Character Library: ctype.h
• int isalnum(int c); alpha :
alphabet
• int isalpha(int c); num :
numeric/number
• int iscntrl(int c); cntrl :
control
• int isdigit(int c); print :
printable
• int isgraph(int c); punct :
punctuation characters
• int islower(int c); (ký tự phân cách)
• xdigit: hexadecimal digit
int isprint(int c);
• int ispunct(int c);
• int isspace(int c);
• int isupper(int c);
• int isxdigit(int c);
• int tolower(int c);
• int toupper(int c);
[PFC] Libraries 18
 Input and validation
formatted output

[PFC] Libraries 19
 Types of Input
Unbuffered Input User Device var Program

Buffered Input User Device Device buffer var Program

• Interactive program (event-based program) uses unbuffered

input. The program can respond to each and every keystroke
directly. 
• Buffer: A memory region is associated with a hardware such
as keyboard, monitor, hard disk,... It holds data temporarily.
• Buffered input enables data editing before submission to a
program. That means that input data can be treated as units
and they can be pre-processed before they are passed to the
program.
• Input functions will access device buffer to get data.
[PFC] Libraries 20
 Buffered Input
• To transfer the contents of a buffer to a program
the user must press Enter key (the '\n' character).
• Stream: A concept allows generalizing access data
in a buffer as a chain of characters.
• Two C functions provide buffered input facilities on
the standard input stream:
−getchar() : get a character from the keyboard
−scanf(...): get formatted data from the keyboard

[PFC] Libraries 21
 The getchar() function
• getchar() retrieves a single character from the
standard input stream buffer without translating the
input. Prototype: int getchar(void);
• getchar returns either the character code for the
retrieved character or EOF. 
(EOF = -1, Ctrl-Z in Windows, Ctrl-D in Unix)
#include <stdio.h> Copy, Paste, compile
int main() { and run the program
char c;
with input: Ctrl + Z
printf("Input a character:");
c = getchar();
printf("Code inputted: %d\n",
c);
getchar();
} Libraries
[PFC] 22
 getchar() # Clearing the buffer
• When the buffer input is used, in some cases, you may not
get successfully data for a variable because some
characters are remained in the keyboard buffer. How to
remove them?
/* clear empties input buffer */ 
void clear(void) {
while(getchar() != '\n');
}
• In some tools, the function fflush(stdin) is implemented
for this purpose (in stdio.h header file).
• To assure that a program always receives new character
data. Make clear the keyboard buffer before the operation
of accepting a character (or a string).
[PFC] Libraries 23
 getchar() # Example @ Mistake
Copy, paste, compile and run the program
#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
char c1, c2;
printf("Input the 1st character:"); Keyboard Buffer
scanf("%c", &c1); A 01000001
printf("Input the 2st character:");
00001101
c2 = getchar(); Enter
printf("c1=%c, ASCII:%d\n", c1, c1); 00001010
printf("c2=%c, ASCII:%d\n", c2, c2);
c1 01000001
getchar();
} c2 00001010

The problem is that after user presses 'A' and ENTER (2 code: 13, 10),
ASCII codes of them are put into the keyboard buffer. The function
scanf(...) will get 'A' to c1. The remaining codes, 13 and 10, are
interpreted to the character '\n' – code 10 only, to c2 by the function
getchar(). So, you can not get a new character for c2.
[PFC] Libraries 24
 getchar() # Example @ Solution
Copy, paste, compile and run the program
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
int main() {
char c1, c2;
printf("Input a character:");
fflush(stdin);
c1 = getchar();
printf("Input a character:");
fflush(stdin);
c2 = getchar();
printf("c1: %c, ASCI code: %d, %o, %X\n",c1,c1,c1,c1);
printf("c2: %c, ASCI code: %d, %o, %X\n",c2,c2,c2,c2);
system("pause"); The function system("commandName"), is
} prototyped in stdlib.h, allows calling a
program stored in system file or an OS
command.
[PFC] Libraries 25
 getchar() # Clears keyboard buffer
Copy, paste, compile and run the program

The user-defined function for clearing the keyboard buffer

[PFC] Libraries 26
 scanf() function

[PFC] Libraries 27
 The scanf(…) function
• scanf retrieves data values from the standard input
stream buffer under format control. 
scanf(format string, &identifier, ...)
• scanf extracts data values from the standard input
stream buffer until scanf has
−Interpreted and processed the entire format string.
−Found a character that doesn’t meet the next
conversion specification in the format string, in which
case scanf leaves the offending (phạm lỗi) character
in the buffer, or emptied the buffer, in which case
scanf waits until the user adds more data values.
[PFC] Libraries 28
 Conversion Specifiers
Specifier Input value Use with
%c character char
%*c character Remove one character in the input buffer
%d decimal char, int, short, long, long long
%u decimal unsigned int, char, int, short, long, long long
%o octal unsigned int, char, int, short, long, long long
%x %X hexadecimal unsigned int, char, int, short, long, long long
%ld long long
%f float float
%lf double double
%llf long double long double
Data from the keyboard are passed to the buffer as characters (ASCII
codes). So, conversion specifiers are instructions that specifying how to
converse character data to typed-data. If a specifier does not match the
data type of a variable, the conversion is incorrect.
[PFC] Libraries 29
 Conversion Specifiers # Example

The conversion specifier does The conversion specifier does

not match the data type long not match the data type double

[PFC] Libraries 30
 Default Separators
If a input value is number lead by a whitespace, scanf treats
the whitespace as a separator (The whitespace characters
include newline, horizontal tab, form feed – page-breaking
ASCII, vertical tab and space characters).

Space character New line / Enter Tab character

[PFC] Libraries 31
 User-Defined Separators
User can specify the
character for separating
input data.
User-define separators
will override default
separators.

[PFC] Libraries 32
 Using %*c for removing a character

Input: 70 ENTER

'\n'

[PFC] Libraries 33
 Number of data fields are inputted
scanf returns the number of addresses successfully
filled or EOF. A return value of
• 0 indicates that scanf did not fill any address
• 1 indicates that scanf filled the first address successfully
• 2 indicates that scanf filled the first and second
addresses successfully
• ...
• EOF (-1) indicates that scanf did not fill any address
AND encountered an end of data character.

The return code from scanf does not reflect success of

%* conversions.
[PFC] Libraries 34
 Example

[PFC] Libraries 35
 Input Validation
• We can't predict how the user will input the data
values: whether the user will enter them as
requested or not. 
• One user may make a mistake.
• Another user may simply try to break the program.
• The program should have code for trapping all
erroneous input, which includes:
−invalid characters
−trailing characters
−out-of-range input
−incorrect number of input fields
[PFC] Libraries 36
 Input Validation # Example
The following function will ensure that inputted integer must be in the range [min, max] and
no invalid characters or trailing character following inputted digits (EXCEPT the ENTER key)

[PFC] Libraries 37
 Formatted Output

[PFC] Libraries 38
 Formatted Output
• Standard output is buffered.
• The standard output buffer empties to the
standard output device whenever the buffer
receives a newline character or the buffer is full.
• Buffering enables a program to continue executing
without waiting for the output device to finish
displaying the most recently received characters.
• The library stdio.h containing functions for print
out data:
−putchar(int): character
−printf(format_string, varList): list of data
[PFC] Libraries 39
 The function putchar(int)
• putchar writes the character received to the standard
output stream buffer and returns the character written
or EOF if an error occurred. 
• Prototype: int putchar(int);
• For example: putchar('a');

[PFC] Libraries 40
 The function printf(…)
• printf sends data under format control to the standard
output stream buffer and returns the number of characters
sent. 
• Syntax: printf(format string, value, ..., value)

The format string is a literal string that consists of characters

interspersed (đặt rải rác) with conversion specifiers.

Conversion specifier begins with a % and ends with a

conversion character

[PFC] Libraries 41
 Format String
Between the % and the conversion character,
there may be
% flags width . precision size conversion_character

flags
- prescribes left justification of the converted value in its
field
0 pads the field width with leading zeros
size identifies the size of data type of the value passed. 

[PFC] Libraries 42
 Conversion Specifiers

[PFC] Libraries 43
 Example 1

[PFC] Libraries 44
 Example 2

Size= 20 Size=10 Size=15 5 Size=12

left align right right align right including the
align align dot character,
right align

[PFC] Libraries 45