What is C language ?

C is a high-level, general-purpose programming language that was originally developed in the early 1970s by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs. It is one of the most widely used programming languages and has had a significant impact on the field of software development.

Here are some key features and characteristics of the C language:

1. Low-level: C provides direct access to memory and hardware resources, allowing programmers to write code that operates at a low level of abstraction. It supports features like pointers, manual memory management, and bit-level manipulation.




2. Portability: C programs can be compiled and executed on a wide range of platforms, making it a highly portable language. C compilers are available for various operating systems and architectures.




3. Efficiency: C is known for its efficiency in terms of execution speed and memory usage. It allows programmers to write code that is highly optimized and can run efficiently on resource-constrained systems.




4. Modularity: C supports modular programming through the use of functions and libraries. Developers can break down their code into smaller, reusable modules, making it easier to manage and maintain large codebases.




5. Extensibility: C supports the creation of libraries and the ability to interface with code written in other languages. This enables developers to leverage existing libraries and integrate C code with code written in different languages.




6. Widely used: C is used in a wide range of applications, including system programming, embedded systems, game development, scientific computing, and more. Many other programming languages, including C++, Java, and Python, have been influenced by C.

Syllabus

1. Introduction to C:

   • Overview of C language
   • History and features of C
   • Setting up the development environment (compiler, IDE, etc.)
   • Writing and compiling a basic C program



2. Basic Concepts:

   • Data types (integer, floating-point, character, etc.)
   • Variables, constants, and identifiers
   • Operators (arithmetic, relational, logical, etc.)
   • Control flow statements (if-else, switch-case, loops)



3. Functions:

   • Function declaration and definition
   • Function parameters and return values
   • Function prototypes
   • Recursive functions



4. Arrays and Strings:

   • Introduction to arrays
   • One-dimensional and multi-dimensional arrays
   • String manipulation and functions



5. Pointers:

   • Understanding pointers and memory addresses
   • Pointer arithmetic
   • Pointers and arrays
   • Dynamic memory allocation (malloc, calloc, free)



6. Structures and Unions:

   • Defining and using structures
   • Structure members and operations
   • Unions and their applications



7. File Handling:

   • Reading from and writing to files
   • Sequential and random access file handling
   • File input/output operations



8. Preprocessor Directives:

   • Macros and their usage
   • Conditional compilation (#ifdef, #ifndef, etc.)
   • File inclusion (#include)



9. Advanced Concepts (optional):

   • Enumerations
   • Bit manipulation
   • Function pointers
   • Dynamic memory allocation (realloc)
   • Command-line arguments