Learn C programming fundamentals like data types, control flow, functions, pointers, and memory allocation while exploring debugging, profiling, and optimization tools like GDB and gcc.

clang.tar.gz

RunC

RunCwithGNUflags

RunCwithlmflag

Run_go_file 

RunC-without_warning_flag

Compile-only

doNothing

Posix

RunCFileGo

Compile-go-file

Compile-go-debugging-file

OpenMP

Make

MPI4Threads

MPI8Threads

Octave

RunC-without_warning_flag-KS

This comprehensive course covers the fundamentals and advanced concepts of C programming to build a solid foundation for your programming journey. You’ll learn about essential topics like data types, variables, constants, and C statements, along with deeper explorations of control flow in C, including for loops and conditional statements in C. You’ll also learn about C functions, scope of variables, function arguments, and work with arrays, strings, and pointers in C.

You’ll gain hands-on experience with dynamic memory allocation, stack vs. heap, C standard library, and advanced topics such as binary files, input and output streams, and header files. The course also teaches compiling in C, linking in C, and debugging with tools like GNU debugger (GDB) and gprof for code profiling. By mastering these concepts, you’ll confidently program in C and optimize your code using gcc optimization flags.

Learn C

# Arrays under the hood

When we declare an array using an expression like `int vec[5];`, what is really happening behind the scenes, is that a block of memory is being allocated (on the stack in this case) large enough to hold five integers, and the `vec` variable is a pointer that points to the first element in the array. When we index into the array with an expression like `printf("vec[2] = %d\n", vec[2]);` what is really happening is that C is using **pointer arithmetic** to step into the array an appropriate number of times, and reading the value in the memory location it ends up in. So, if we ask for the third element of the `vec` array using `vec[2]` then C is first looking at the location pointed to by `vec` (the first element of the array), stepping two integers forward, and then reading the value it finds there (the value in `vec[2]`).

We can also use pointer arithmetic to access an array allocated on the heap. To allocate an array on the heap, we can use the functions `malloc` or `calloc` to be discussed later. For now, we just note that in the code below, an integer array of size 3 is created, by passing the size of the array (in bytes) to `malloc`. The function `malloc` returns  the starting address of the allocated memory. We then use pointer arithmetic to read off the third value:

Get to learn how C uses pointers to reference arrays. 

Pointers and Arrays

Get to learn how C uses pointers to reference arrays.

Introduction to C Programming

Data Types in C

C Operators and C Expressions

Control Flow in C

Functions in C

Complex Data Types

Stack vs. Heap

Pointers in C

C string

Input and Output Stream

Macros and the C Preprocessor

Header Files, Compiling and Linking

C Debugger

Code Profiling

Parallel Programming in C

Project: Using a Bootstrapped t-test

Conclusion

Miscellaneous

Appendix: Setting Up the Environment

Pointers and Arrays

Arrays under the hood