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History of C Programming Language

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151 Questions

Who proposed the C language at Bell Laboratories in 1972?

Dennis M. Ritchie

Which programming language is most frequently associated with UNIX?

C

What was one of C's earlier forms before it evolved from BCPL?

The B language

Which book, published in 1978, was the first book on C programming?

The C Programming Language by Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie

What was the goal of the ANSI committee established in 1983 regarding the C language?

Produce an unambiguous and machine independent definition of the language C

What comes after local declarations in the main function?

Statements

What is the purpose of a return function in a program?

To return a value when specified

Which file type is NOT generated during the compilation process of a C program?

.txt

What does the Linker do in the compilation process of a C program?

Link object files to library functions

Which component stores the address of the next instructions to be executed by the CPU?

Program Counter

What is the purpose of the 'ceil()' function in C Math?

Rounds up the given number to the nearest integer

Which keyword in C language is used to define a loop?

Break

What is the purpose of identifiers in C programming?

Name variables and other program elements

Why is it important to declare variables in C programming?

To inform the compiler about variable data types

What is the purpose of the 'pow()' function in C Math?

Returns the power of a given number

What is the range of the 'Short int' basic data type in 'C'?

-32768 to 32767

Which data type is used in 'C' to store a set of data values?

Arrays

How are string constants represented in 'C'?

As a sequence of zero or more characters surrounded by double quotes

Which constant type is used to associate constant values with names in 'C'?

Enumeration constant

What is the main purpose of declaring an unsigned constant in 'C'?

To increase the range of storage

What is the purpose of the preprocessor section in a C program?

Include necessary header files

Which organization established the ANSI C standard?

ANSI

What is the significance of the main() function in a C program?

Is the first function executed by the computer

What is a key feature of C programming that makes it highly portable?

Code written in one machine can be moved to another

Which section of a C program usually includes declarations for global variables?

Preprocessor section

What is a variable in C used for?

To store data

Which of the following rules for defining variables in C is correct?

Variable names must not be reserved words or keywords

What type of variable must be initialized before it is used?

Local variable

Which storage class in C retains its value between multiple function calls?

Static

What happens to the memory assigned to automatic variables upon exiting a block in C?

Memory is automatically freed

What will be printed when the first code snippet is executed?

garbage garbage garbage

Which type of variables can hold their value between multiple function calls?

Static

What is not allowed for register variables while using the & operator?

Dereferencing

Which storage class should be used for variables intended to be stored in the CPU registers?

Register

What does the external storage class signify in C programming?

Variable declared elsewhere in the program

What happens when a static global variable is declared?

Memory allocation happens at compile time

Who proposed the C language at Bell Laboratories in 1972?

Dennis Ritchie

What was the original programming language that C evolved from?

BCPL

Which book marked the first publication on C programming in 1978?

The C Programming Language

What is the primary reason for the association between C programming language and UNIX?

Bulk of UNIX and applications written in C

Which characteristic of C programming contributes to its high portability?

Isolation of machine-specific features within a few modules

What is the purpose of the 'return' function in C programming?

To return a value and end the execution of a function

What happens when a C program file is compiled without any errors?

It generates an executable '.obj' file

What is the function of the Loader in a C program execution process?

It informs the CPU about the starting point of the loaded program

What is the role of the Linker in the compilation process of a C program?

Generates the final executable file by linking object files and library functions

Which file extension is used for an intermediate file generated during the compilation process of a C program?

'.obj'

What is the purpose of using the 'scanf' function in C programming?

To read input from the user

Which function in C can be used to find the power of a given number?

pow()

What is the significance of declaring variables before using them in C programming?

To allocate storage space

Which of the following functions in C returns the square root of a given number?

sqrt()

In C programming, what is the main purpose of using the 'pow()' function?

To calculate the power of a number

What is the significance of the 'main()' function in a C program?

It is the first function executed by the computer

Why is it important to declare variables in C programming?

To ensure that a variable exists before it's used

What is the primary purpose of the preprocessor section in a C program?

To include header files in the program

Which section of a C program includes declarations for global variables?

Global declaration section

What does the 'define' section in a C program typically comprise of?

Global constants declared using the define keyword

What is the visibility of global variables in C programming?

Available to all functions

Which keyword is used to define static variables in C?

static

What is the default value assigned to automatic variables in C?

Garbage value

Which storage class in C has the shortest lifetime?

Automatic

What is the main difference between global and external variables in C?

The memory location

What is the purpose of 'typedef' in 'C' programming?

To create new data type names defined by the user

Which escape sequence is used for a new line in 'C' character constants?

\n

What is the range of values for an 'Unsigned int' basic data type in 'C'?

0 to 4,294,967,295

What is the importance of declaring an unsigned constant in 'C'?

To increase the range of storage

Which data type should be used in 'C' to store a set of data values?

Arrays and Structures

What is a key feature of static variables in C programming?

Hold their value between multiple function calls

Which storage class in C allows variables to be stored in CPU registers?

Register

What is the default initial value of external variables in C?

0

When using the 'extern' storage class, what does the compiler expect?

External linkage elsewhere

What is a limitation of register variables in C?

& operator can be used on them

Which statement accurately describes the visibility of static global variables in C?

Accessible from any file within the program

What differentiates automatic variables from static variables in C?

Automatic variables are not initialized by default

Which keyword is used to define a variable that should be stored in CPU registers?

'register'

'extern' storage class is primarily used to declare variables with what kind of linkage?

external

What is a common characteristic of all register variables in C?

Faster access time

What was the main goal of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) committee that was established in 1983 in relation to the C programming language?

To develop a machine-independent definition of the language C

Which computer system was one of the first portable operating systems due to the fact that the C language does not directly rely on specific hardware architecture?

UNIX OS

Who wrote the book 'The C Programming Language' which was first published in 1978?

Ken Thompson and Brian Kernighan

Which early form of the C language was written by Ken Thompson for the DEC PDP-7 computer?

B language

Which individual designed C programming for use with UNIX on DEC PDP-11 computers?

Dennis Ritchie

What is the purpose of the Loader in the C program execution process?

Loads the executable file in RAM and informs the CPU with the starting point

In C programming, what is the role of the Linker in the compilation process?

Links object files to library functions

Which section of a C program includes user-defined functions like color(), sum(), and division()?

Program Execution

What happens when a C program file is compiled without any errors?

It saves the file as a .obj file of the same name

Which of the following statements accurately describes expressions in C programming?

Expressions are formulas linking operands with operators

Which section of a C program includes declarations for global variables?

Global declaration

What is the purpose of the 'pow()' function in C Math?

Returning the power of a given number

What is the primary difference between local and global variables in C programming?

Local variables are defined within functions, while global variables are declared outside functions

What is the main purpose of using the 'typedef' keyword in C programming?

Renaming data types

Which keyword is used to define a variable that should be stored in CPU registers?

register

Which feature contributes to the high portability of C programming language?

Availability of multiple data types

What is a common characteristic of all static variables in C programming?

They retain their value between function calls

What does the 'define' section in a C program typically comprise of?

Constant declarations

Which storage class in C retains its value between multiple function calls?

Static

What is the purpose of the Linker in the compilation process of a C program?

Resolving references to functions defined in other files

Which keyword is used in C to declare a variable that retains its value between multiple function calls?

static

In C programming, where should a global variable typically be declared to make it accessible to all functions?

Outside any function or block

What is the default value assigned to automatic variables in C?

Garbage Value

Which storage class in C has the shortest lifetime, limited to the block in which it is defined?

Auto

What happens to the memory assigned to automatic variables upon exiting from the block in which they are defined?

Memory is deallocated immediately

What is the storage size of a 'Char' basic data type in C?

8 bits

In C programming, what is the value range of an 'Unsigned long' basic data type?

0 to 4,294,967,295

Which data type in C is used for creating new data type names defined by the user?

Typedef

In C programming, what does the suffix 'f' or 'F' indicate when used with floating point constants?

Float constant

What is the numerical value of the character constant 'a' in a C program?

'a'

What is a key feature of static variables in C?

Their value persists between multiple function calls

What is a limitation of register variables in C?

They cannot be dereferenced

Which storage class in C retains its value between multiple function calls?

Static

What is the default initial value of external integral type variables in C?

0

What does the 'extern' storage class indicate about a variable in C?

The variable is declared with an external linkage elsewhere

Which statement accurately describes the visibility of static global variables in C?

Limited to the file they are declared in

What was the original name of the language C before it evolved further?

B language

Which computer was the C language first designed for by Dennis Ritchie?

DEC PDP-7

What is one of the key characteristics of UNIX operating system code written in C?

Highly adaptable to different hardware architectures

Who co-authored the first book on C programming published in 1978 along with Dennis Ritchie?

Brian Kernighan

What is one of the main reasons why UNIX was one of the first portable operating systems?

Isolation of machine-specific features within the kernel

What is the primary purpose of defining the 'define' section in a C program?

Define constants using the define keyword

Which section of a C program is responsible for including header files?

Preprocessor section

What is the purpose of the 'main()' function in a C program?

Starting point of execution

Which part of the C program contains all the global declarations?

Global declaration

What type of memory is assigned to automatic variables in C?

Stack memory

Which component in a C program is responsible for linking the object files to library functions?

Linker

What is the purpose of the 'return' function in C programming?

To end the execution of a function

What file extension is given to an object file generated by the C compiler?

.obj

In the context of C programming, what is the significance of declaring variables before using them?

It informs the compiler about variable types

What is the role of the Loader in the execution of a C program?

Load the object file into RAM

What type of operations can be performed using the 'pow()' function in C Math?

Calculate and return the power of a given number

How does the 'ceil()' function in C Math differ from the 'floor()' function?

ceil() rounds up the given number, while floor() rounds down

What does the 'int_amt' variable store in the INTEREST CALCULATIONS program?

Result of multiplying principle and rate of interest

What is the key difference between Keywords and Identifiers in C programming?

Keywords are reserved words with predefined meaning, while Identifiers are names for variables and program elements

In C programming, what is a common characteristic of all register variables?

They are stored in CPU registers for faster access

What is the range of the 'Float' basic data type in 'C'?

3.410E-38 to 3.410E38

Which escape sequence in 'C' represents a Carriage return?

\r

What is the purpose of the 'typedef' keyword in 'C' programming?

To create new data type names defined by the user

Which constant type is used to increase the range of storage in 'C'?

Unsigned constants

In C programming, what is the significance of declaring an unsigned constant?

To increase the range of storage

Which type of variable retains its value between multiple function calls in C programming?

Static variable

What is the default visibility scope of automatic variables in C programming?

Block scope

In C programming, what is the primary reason for initializing local variables before use?

To ensure predictable behavior

Which storage class in C has memory allocated automatically at runtime?

Automatic

What happens to the memory assigned to automatic variables upon exiting from the block in C programming?

It is freed up for reuse

What is the primary reason for using the 'static' keyword with variables in C?

To retain the value of the variable between multiple function calls

Which storage class in C provides faster access time compared to automatic variables?

Register

What happens when a static global variable is declared in a C program?

It retains its value between multiple function calls

Which of the following is true about external variables in C?

They are only declared to have external linkage elsewhere

Why can't static variables be stored in CPU registers?

Only one storage specifier can be used for a variable

What is a key feature of register variables in C?

The compiler allocates memory into CPU registers for them

Which keyword is used to define a variable that retains its value between multiple function calls?

__static

What does the 'extern' storage class indicate in C?

It is intended to specify that the variable is declared elsewhere in the program

When a variable is declared as 'register' in C, why can't pointers be stored in the register?

'register' variables cannot hold addresses

Learn about the origins and development of the C programming language, starting from its inception in 1972 at Bell Laboratories by Dennis Ritchie. Explore how the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) played a role in defining and standardizing the language.

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