C Programming Language Tutorial
This document covers the overview of this reference material.
C is one of the most fundamental programming languages, widely used in systems programming, high-performance computing (HPC), and embedded systems. Despite its age, C remains relevant because of its efficiency, portability, and fine-grained control over hardware.
Why Learn C?
- Performance: C provides low-level memory control, making it ideal for high-performance applications.
- Portability: C code can run on almost any platform with minimal modification.
- Concurrency & Parallelism: Many HPC applications use MPI (Message Passing Interface), which is implemented in C.
- Used in OS Development: Most operating systems, including Linux, are written in C.
Reference Overview
This reference is meant to build a strong foundation in C, focusing on topics relevant for HPC and MPI programming. The course emphasizes:
Key Topics Covered:
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Functions and Modular Programming
- Function prototypes, pass by value vs. pass by reference, and function pointers.
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Pointers & Memory Management
- Pointer arithmetic, dynamic memory allocation (malloc, free), and double pointers.
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Multi-File Code Structure
- Using header (.h) files, separate compilation, and best practices for modular C programming.
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Build Systems: Makefile
- Automating compilation using make to manage multi-file C projects.
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Debugging & Best Practices
- Tools like gdb and valgrind, and tips to avoid common pitfalls.
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Mini Project
- Implementing a simple matrix operations program using modular C code.
Who Is This For?
This tutorial is for:
- Beginners who want to learn C beyond basic syntax.
- Students and Developers preparing for MPI programming.
- HPC enthusiasts looking to understand how C is used in high-performance applications.
What’s Next?
This tutorial will be followed by an MPI Programming tutorial, where we’ll dive into:
- Basics of MPI (Message Passing Interface)
- Writing parallel programs in C using MPI
- Real-world examples of distributed computing