Fundamentals of C Programming and Computer Concepts

Computer and Program Concepts

Program: A set of instructions to the computer written in a language understood by it.

Computer: Electronic machine.

Byte: The amount of information used by a computer to represent a character; a byte is a string of 8 bits.

Machine code: Binary encoding of a set of instructions.

Languages and Translators

Assembly language: A language that uses mnemonic codes to specify hardware operations.

Mnemonic code: An easy-to-remember word that represents a task to be performed by the processor.

High-level language: Languages that use terminology closer to human language.

Compiler: A program that translates a program written in a high-level language into machine language.

Linker: A program tasked with incorporating the library functions of the language used, making them available to our program.

Interpreter: A translator that translates and runs the program concurrently, executing each statement as it is processed.

Features and Characteristics of C

Features of C: Structured programming, abundance of operators and data types, and relative ease of learning.

Characteristics of C: Uses letters, digits, spaces, special characters, punctuation, and escape sequences.

Steps to Develop a C Program

1. Edit the program.
2. Compile the program.
3. Run the program.
4. Debug as needed.

Compilation and Execution Flow

Compile: To translate the source program into machine language and then link it with the necessary functions.

Tasks in the execution of a program:

Data Entry » Process » Output

Origin → Flow from source → Program → Flow to destination → Destination

Flow (stream): A data structure that acts as an intermediary between the program and a source or destination of information.

stdin (standard input): The input stream from the source (typically the keyboard).

stdout (standard output): The output stream to the destination (typically the screen).

system("cls"); — clear the screen (on Windows).

Data Types and Typedef

Data types: Primitive types and derived types.

Primitive types (commonly defined by the compiler):

• integer types: char, short, int, long, enum
• real types: float, double

Listed: A list of values that can be taken by a variable of that type (enumeration).

Typedef: Allows you to declare synonyms for primitive and derived types.

Constant: A value set that does not change during the execution of the program.

Comments and Statements

Comments: Use /* comment */ for block comments and // comment for single-line comments.

Statement: A sequence of expressions that specify one or more operations.

Input/Output and Functions

Function: A set of instructions that perform a specific task.

Example conversion code (corrected for clarity):

/* Conversion example */
float cordobas;
float dollars;

/* Compute conversion from Córdoba to dollars */
dollars = cordobas / 21.0308;
printf("\nThe conversion in dollars is: $%.2f", dollars);

Alternate snippets from the original text (preserved intent):

• float conversion(float);
• float cordobas;
• float dollars;

Design and Variable Scope

Top-down design: Decomposing problems into simpler problems.

Scope of a variable: The part of a program where that variable can be referenced.

Global variable: A variable declared outside any block in a program. It exists and retains its value from the beginning to the end of program execution.

Local (automatic) variable: A variable declared within a block. It can only be accessed within that block and in blocks contained within it.

Final Notes

The text above preserves the original concepts while correcting spelling, grammar, and clarity. It is intended to present fundamental terminology and examples relevant to C programming and basic computer concepts.