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Learn C from Scratch

Gain insights into C programming fundamentals and advanced concepts, including data types, control flow, memory management, and debugging, enhancing your programming skills and deepening your understanding.

Beginner

90 Lessons

12h

Certificate of Completion

AI-POWERED

Explanations

AI-POWERED

Explanations

This course includes

1 Project

132 Playgrounds

6 Challenges

13 Quizzes

Course Overview

Course Content

Apply Your Skills

Recommendations

Course Overview

Do you want to get a grip on the basic programming concepts from scratch? Do you feel the need to have a better and enhanced understanding of how it all works? Well, you've come to the right place. This course outlines data types, control flow, functions, input/output, memory, compilation, debugging and other advanced topics in a comprehensive, yet concise manner. C is where it all begins and where you should also begin to embark on your programming journey. The incredibly efficient and powerful C languag...Show More

Course Content

Why Program in C?

4 Lessons

Get familiar with C's historical significance, efficiency, and optimal use in performance-centric tasks.

Getting Started with C

Virtues and Challenges

When Should I Use C?

The Bottom Line

Basic Types and Statements

7 Lessons

Unpack the core of creating programs, using variables, data types, constants, and understanding statements in C.

Quiz on Basic Types and Statements

Operators and Expressions

6 Lessons

Work your way through operators and expressions, type conversions, custom type names, and exercise applications.

Building Expressions Using Operators

Type Conversions

Defining Your Own Type Names

Other Convenient Operators

Exercises on Operators and Expression

Quiz on Operators and Expressions

Control Flow

7 Lessons

Break down complex ideas in C control flow: loops, conditionals, break, continue, and switch statements.

The for Loop

Other Types of Loops in C

Conditionals

The break and continue Statements

A switch Statement

Exercises on Control Flow

Quiz on Control Flow

Functions

10 Lessons

Explore functions in C to enhance code reuse, efficiency, and modularity through practical examples.

Automatic vs Static Variables

Variadic Functions

Exercises on Functions

Quiz on Functions

Complex Data Types

8 Lessons

Follow the process of utilizing arrays, structures, and command-line arguments for complex data handling.

Arrays

Writing to Arrays

Multidimensional Arrays

Variable-Length Arrays

Command-line Arguments

Structures

Exercises on Complex Data Types

Quiz on Complex Data Types

Memory : Stack vs Heap

5 Lessons

Master the steps to manage stack and heap memory for efficient C programming.

Quiz on Stack and Heap Memories

Pointers

7 Lessons

Learn how to use pointers for dynamic memory, efficient data handling, and function interaction.

Pointers

Pointers and Arrays

Passing Pointers to Struct

Passing Pointers to Functions

Dynamically Allocated Memory

Exercise on Pointers

Quiz on Pointers

Strings

5 Lessons

Unpack the core of handling strings, standard library functions, arrays of strings, and practical exercises.

Strings

String Handling Using the C Standard Library

Arrays of Strings

Exercise on Strings

Quiz on Strings

10.

Input and Output

6 Lessons

Go hands-on with C I/O streams, file handling, binary file operations, random access, and practical exercises.

I/O Streams

Input and Output with Files

Binary Files (raw bytes)

Random Access

Exercise on Input and Output

Quiz on Input and Output

11.

Macros and the C Preprocessor

4 Lessons

Grasp the fundamentals of the C preprocessor, including #define directives, macros with arguments, and conditional compilation.

The C Preprocessor and #define Directives

Macros with Arguments

Conditional Compilation

Quiz on Macros and the C Preprocessor

12.

Header Files, Compiling and Linking

3 Lessons

Take a closer look at organizing C programs with multiple files and using Makefiles efficiently.

Splitting a Program into Multiple Files

The GNU make Utility and Makefiles

Quiz on Header files, Compiling and Linking

13.

Debugging

5 Lessons

Implement debugging techniques using GDB, manage breakpoints, and avoid common C pitfalls.

The GNU Project Debugger (GDB)

14.

Speeding Up Your Code

3 Lessons

Practice using profiling, known slugs, and compiler optimizer flags to speed up your code.

Profiling of Code Using gprof

Known Slugs

Using the Compiler Optimizer Flags

15.

Advanced Topic: Parallel Programming in C

6 Lessons

Learn how to use parallel programming techniques in C for optimized performance.

Why Parallel Programming?

Kinds of Parallel Programming

POSIX Threads

OpenMP

Message Passing Interface (MPI)

Quiz on Parallel Programming in C

Project: Using a Bootstrapped t-test

Project

17.

Conclusion

1 Lessons

Look at the comprehensive understanding and lasting skills in C programming.

Concluding Thoughts

18.

Miscellaneous

1 Lessons

Explore useful C libraries like GLib, GSL, BLAS/LAPACK, Apophenia, and GNUplot.

Some Useful C Libraries

19.

Appendix: Setting Up the Environment

2 Lessons

Build a foundation in setting up your C programming environment across different operating systems.

Install Some Basic Tool

Test Your Environment

Course Author

Fahim ul Haq

Show License and Attributions

Project

Write a Shell in C

This project uses C to build a shell, implementing basic commands from scratch using standard libraries and system calls.

intermediate

1 hour 30 mins

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