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Questions and Answers
Which operator is used to get the memory address of a variable?
Which operator is used to get the memory address of a variable?
What does the dereference operator (*) return?
What does the dereference operator (*) return?
What is the result of incrementing a pointer?
What is the result of incrementing a pointer?
Which function is used for dynamic memory allocation in C?
Which function is used for dynamic memory allocation in C?
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How are arrays stored in memory?
How are arrays stored in memory?
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What keyword is used to define a structure in C?
What keyword is used to define a structure in C?
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What is a characteristic of a linked list?
What is a characteristic of a linked list?
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Which notation describes an algorithm with linear time complexity?
Which notation describes an algorithm with linear time complexity?
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Which algorithm design technique involves breaking down a problem into smaller sub-problems and storing solutions to sub-problems?
Which algorithm design technique involves breaking down a problem into smaller sub-problems and storing solutions to sub-problems?
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Which file mode is used for reading?
Which file mode is used for reading?
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Study Notes
Pointers
- A pointer is a variable that stores the memory address of another variable.
- Declared using the asterisk symbol (*) before the pointer name.
- Example:
int *ptr;declares a pointer to an integer. - Pointer operators:
-
&(address-of operator): returns the memory address of a variable. -
*(dereference operator): returns the value stored at a memory address.
-
- Pointer arithmetic:
- Incrementing/decrementing a pointer moves it to the next/previous memory location.
- Pointers can be compared using relational operators.
- Common pointer operations:
- Dynamic memory allocation:
malloc(),calloc(),realloc(),free(). - Pointer casting: converting a pointer to a different data type.
- Dynamic memory allocation:
Data Structures
-
Arrays:
- A collection of elements of the same data type stored in contiguous memory locations.
- Declared using
type array_name[size];. - Example:
int scores[5];declares an array of 5 integers.
-
Structures:
- A collection of variables of different data types stored together.
- Declared using the
structkeyword. - Example:
struct student { int id; char name[20]; };.
-
Linked Lists:
- A dynamic collection of nodes, each containing a value and a reference to the next node.
- Nodes are allocated dynamically using
malloc(). - Example: a singly linked list of integers.
Algorithm Design
-
Asymptotic Notation:
- Big O, Ω, and Θ notations used to describe an algorithm's time and space complexity.
- Examples:
- O(1) - constant time complexity.
- O(n) - linear time complexity.
- O(n^2) - quadratic time complexity.
-
Algorithm Design Techniques:
- Divide and Conquer: break down a problem into smaller sub-problems.
- Dynamic Programming: break down a problem into smaller sub-problems and store solutions to sub-problems.
- Greedy Algorithm: make the locally optimal choice at each step.
File Input/Output
-
File Modes:
-
r- read mode. -
w- write mode (truncates file if it exists). -
a- append mode. -
r+,w+,a+- read and write modes.
-
-
File Pointers:
-
FILE *fp;declares a file pointer. -
fopen(): opens a file and returns a file pointer. -
fclose(): closes a file.
-
-
File Input/Output Functions:
-
fread(): reads from a file. -
fwrite(): writes to a file. -
fgetc(): reads a single character from a file. -
fputc(): writes a single character to a file.
-
Pointers
- A pointer is a variable that stores the memory address of another variable.
- Declared using the asterisk symbol (*) before the pointer name.
- The
&operator returns the memory address of a variable. - The
*operator returns the value stored at a memory address. - Pointer arithmetic allows incrementing/decrementing a pointer to move to the next/previous memory location.
- Pointers can be compared using relational operators.
Data Structures
Arrays
- A collection of elements of the same data type stored in contiguous memory locations.
- Declared using
type array_name[size];. - Example:
int scores[5];declares an array of 5 integers.
Structures
- A collection of variables of different data types stored together.
- Declared using the
structkeyword. - Example:
struct student { int id; char name; };declares a structure with an integer and a character.
Linked Lists
- A dynamic collection of nodes, each containing a value and a reference to the next node.
- Nodes are allocated dynamically using
malloc(). - Example: a singly linked list of integers.
Algorithm Design
Asymptotic Notation
- Big O, Ω, and Θ notations are used to describe an algorithm's time and space complexity.
- Examples: O(1) - constant time complexity, O(n) - linear time complexity, O(n^2) - quadratic time complexity.
Algorithm Design Techniques
- Divide and Conquer: break down a problem into smaller sub-problems.
- Dynamic Programming: break down a problem into smaller sub-problems and store solutions to sub-problems.
- Greedy Algorithm: make the locally optimal choice at each step.
File Input/Output
File Modes
-
r- read mode. -
w- write mode (truncates file if it exists). -
a- append mode. -
r+,w+,a+- read and write modes.
File Pointers
-
FILE *fp;declares a file pointer. -
fopen(): opens a file and returns a file pointer. -
fclose(): closes a file.
File Input/Output Functions
-
fread(): reads from a file. -
fwrite(): writes to a file. -
fgetc(): reads a single character from a file. -
fputc(): writes a single character to a file.
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Description
This quiz covers the basics of pointers in C programming, including declaration, pointer operators, and pointer arithmetic. Test your knowledge of this fundamental concept in computer science.
