C programming is a cornerstone of computer science, known for its efficiency and low-level control. This syllabus, presented in a table format, guides you from beginner to advanced topics, including a brief history and foundational concepts. Each topic includes internal links (to be added later) for detailed exploration.
Developed by Dennis Ritchie in 1972 at Bell Labs, C is a procedural language used in system programming, such as operating systems and embedded systems. Its portability and modularity make it a timeless choice for developers.
#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
printf("Hello, World!");
return 0;
}
| Level | Topic | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | History of C | Overview of C’s development by Dennis Ritchie, its evolution, and its role in shaping modern programming. |
| Beginner | Machine Code and High-Level Language | Understand machine code (binary instructions), assembly, and how C as a high-level language bridges hardware and software. |
| Beginner | Interpreter vs. Compiler | Learn the difference: compilers (like GCC for C) translate entire code to machine code; interpreters execute line-by-line. |
| Beginner | Running C on Windows, Mac, Mobile | Setup GCC on Windows (MinGW), Mac (Xcode/brew), and mobile (C4droid, OnlineGDB); compile and run C programs. |
| Beginner | Data Types, Variables, Constants | Learn basic types (int, float, char), variable declaration, initialization, and constants (const). |
| Beginner | Operators and Expressions | Understand arithmetic (+, -, *, /), relational (==, !=), logical (&&, ||), bitwise (&, |), and assignment operators. |
| Beginner | Control Statements | Master decision-making (if, switch), loops (for, while), and jump statements (break, continue). |
| Beginner | Functions | Explore function definition, declaration, parameter passing (call by value/reference), and recursion. |
| Beginner | Arrays and Strings | Work with 1D/2D arrays, character arrays, and string functions (strlen, strcpy). |
| Intermediate | Pointers | Understand pointer variables, address operator (&), dereference (*), pointer arithmetic, and pointers to arrays/functions. |
| Intermediate | Structures and Unions | Define structures, access members, use arrays/pointers with structures, and explore unions, typedef, and enum. |
| Intermediate | File Handling | Learn file operations (fopen, fclose), reading/writing (fscanf, fwrite), and error handling (feof). |
| Intermediate | Preprocessor Directives | Use #include, #define, macros, and conditional compilation (#if, #ifdef). |
| Advanced | Dynamic Memory Allocation | Master malloc, calloc, realloc, free, and avoid memory leaks. |
| Advanced | Data Structures | Implement linked lists, stacks, queues, binary trees, BST, and graphs (BFS, DFS). |
| Advanced | Bitwise Operations and Optimization | Apply advanced bitwise tricks and code optimization techniques. |
| Advanced | Multi-threading and Concurrency | Use POSIX threads (pthreads), synchronization with mutex and semaphores. |
| Advanced | Advanced Topics | Explore socket programming, graphics (graphics.h), embedded C, and C11/C99 features. |