CHECKLIST.md

C Programming Study Checklist

🔹 Unit 1: Introduction to Programming

🔸 Computer System Basics

• Computer Components:
  • CPU: architecture, registers, instruction execution
  • Memory hierarchy: cache, RAM, virtual memory
  • Storage devices: characteristics and differences
  • I/O devices and system bus
• Operating System Fundamentals:
  • Process and memory management
  • File system organization
  • User and kernel space
  • OS roles in program execution
• Compiler Operation:
  • Preprocessing, compilation, assembly, linking
  • Interpreter vs compiler differences
  • GCC command line options and usage
• Program Execution Process:
  • Memory layout (code, data, stack, heap)
  • Loading and execution sequence
  • Runtime environment

🔸 Algorithms & Flowcharts

• Algorithm Concepts:
  • Definition and characteristics
  • Complexity and efficiency basics
  • Problem-solving methodology
• Flowcharting Techniques:
  • Standard symbols and conventions
  • Decision structures and loops representation
• Practice Problems:
  • Develop flowcharts for:
    • Finding maximum of three numbers
    • Calculating factorial
    • Testing primality
    • Converting temperature units
• Implementation Practice:
  • Convert 3+ flowcharts to pseudocode
  • Translate pseudocode to working C programs

🔸 From Algorithm to C Program

• Development Lifecycle:
  • Problem analysis to implementation
  • Testing and debugging strategies
• Memory Concepts:
  • How variables are stored in memory
  • Address space and memory allocation
• C Data Types:
  • Primitive types with ranges and memory sizes
  • Type modifiers (signed/unsigned, short/long)
  • Type conversion rules
• Error Types:
  • Syntax errors: identification and fixing
  • Runtime errors: handling and prevention
  • Logical errors: debugging techniques

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🔹 Unit 2: Arithmetic Expressions & Precedence

• Arithmetic Operators:
  • Basic operators: +, -, *, /, %
  • Integer vs floating-point division
  • Modulus operator limitations
• Operator Precedence:
  • Complete precedence table
  • Associativity rules (left-to-right, right-to-left)
• Expression Evaluation:
  • Step-by-step evaluation of complex expressions
  • Type conversion in mixed expressions
• Practice Problems:
  • Evaluate expressions without calculator
  • Create expressions that yield specific results
  • Debug incorrect expressions

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🔹 Unit 3: Conditional Branching and Loops

🔸 Conditionals

• Basic Conditionals:
  • if statement: syntax and usage
  • if-else: binary decision making
  • Nested if-else: multiple conditions
  • else if ladder: multiple alternatives
• Switch Statement:
  • Syntax and execution flow
  • Case labels and break statements
  • Fall-through behavior
  • Default case handling
• Operators for Conditions:
  • Relational operators (==, !=, >, <, >=, <=)
  • Logical operators (&&, ||, !)
  • Short-circuit evaluation
• Practical Applications:
  • Input validation
  • Menu-driven programs
  • Classification algorithms
  • Multi-condition problems

🔸 Loops

• Loop Types:
  • for loop: components and execution
  • while loop: pre-test condition
  • do-while loop: post-test condition
  • Choosing the appropriate loop type
• Loop Control:
  • break statement: immediate exit
  • continue statement: skip iteration
  • Infinite loops and their uses
• Nested Loops:
  • Structure and execution flow
  • Loop variable scope
  • Common applications
• Loop Practice:
  • Sum and average calculations
  • Sequence generation (Fibonacci, etc.)
  • Pattern printing (pyramids, diamonds)
  • Digit manipulation (reverse, sum, count)
  • Prime number detection algorithms

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🔹 Unit 4: Arrays

🔸 1D Arrays

• Array Fundamentals:
  • Declaration and initialization syntax
  • Memory representation and addressing
  • Array bounds and access patterns
• Array Operations:
  • Traversal using loops
  • In-place modifications
  • Insertion and deletion techniques
• Common Array Algorithms:
  • Finding minimum/maximum elements
  • Array reversal and rotation
  • Filtering and transforming elements
  • Frequency counting and histograms

🔸 2D Arrays

• Matrix Concepts:
  • Memory layout and access patterns
  • Row-major vs column-major storage
• Matrix Operations:
  • Addition and subtraction
  • Matrix multiplication
  • Transpose operation
  • Determinant calculation (basic)
• Specialized Operations:
  • Diagonal operations
  • Finding saddle points
  • Spiral/zigzag traversal
  • Row and column manipulations

🔸 Character Arrays and Strings

• String Basics:
  • Null-termination concept (\0)
  • Declaration and initialization methods
  • Memory representation
• Input/Output Techniques:
  • scanf() with format specifiers
  • gets(), fgets() and their differences
  • Safe string input practices
• String Manipulation:
  • Character-by-character processing
  • Standard library functions (strlen, strcpy, etc.)
  • Custom string functions implementation
• String Algorithms:
  • Palindrome checking
  • String reversal
  • Case conversion
  • Word counting and tokenization
  • Pattern matching basics

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🔹 Unit 5: Basic Algorithms

🔸 Searching

• Linear Search:
  • Algorithm and implementation
  • Optimizations (sentinel value, etc.)
  • Performance analysis
  • Pointer-based implementation
• Binary Search:
  • Algorithm prerequisites and steps
  • Iterative implementation
  • Recursive implementation
  • Time complexity analysis
  • Applications and limitations

🔸 Sorting Algorithms

• Bubble Sort:
  • Basic and optimized implementations
  • Pass-by-pass visualization
  • Time complexity analysis
• Insertion Sort:
  • Algorithm walkthrough
  • Implementation strategies
  • Best/worst case scenarios
• Selection Sort:
  • Algorithm and implementation
  • Comparison with other methods
  • Stability and performance
• Algorithm Analysis:
  • Big-O notation understanding
  • Space vs time complexity
  • Best/average/worst case analysis

🔸 Miscellaneous Algorithms

• Mathematical Algorithms:
  • GCD and LCM calculation
  • Prime number generation (Sieve)
  • Quadratic equation solver
• Data Processing:
  • Array partition techniques
  • Sliding window algorithms
  • Prefix sum applications

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🔹 Unit 6: Functions

🔸 Function Basics

• Function Structure:
  • Function signature components
  • Return type selection
  • Parameter definition
• Function Management:
  • Function prototyping
  • Multiple file organization
  • Header files and inclusion
• Variable Scope:
  • Local vs global variables
  • Block scope
  • Static and automatic variables
• Standard Library:
  • Key functions from stdio.h, stdlib.h
  • String functions from string.h
  • Math functions from math.h

🔸 Parameter Passing

• Call by Value:
  • Mechanism and memory implications
  • Appropriate use cases
  • Limitations with complex data
• Call by Reference:
  • Using pointers as references
  • Dereferencing and modification
  • Safety considerations
• Advanced Parameter Techniques:
  • Const parameters
  • Variable argument lists
  • Function pointers basics

🔸 Arrays and Pointers in Functions

• Array Parameters:
  • Array decay to pointers
  • Size parameters
  • Multi-dimensional array passing
• Pointer Operations:
  • Pointer arithmetic in functions
  • Returning pointers safely
  • Dynamic memory in functions
• String Handling:
  • String parameter conventions
  • String modification techniques
  • String return values

🔸 Function Practice

• Implement Common Functions:
  • Array utilities (sort, search, reverse)
  • String utilities (custom versions of standard functions)
  • Mathematical functions (power, factorial, etc.)
• Advanced Function Exercises:
  • Recursive implementations
  • Higher-order function concepts
  • Callback pattern implementations

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📘 Bonus Advanced Topics

• Dynamic Memory:
  • malloc, calloc, realloc, free usage
  • Dynamic arrays and matrices
  • Memory leak prevention
  • Debugging memory issues
• Advanced Pointers:
  • Pointer to pointers
  • Function pointers and applications
  • Void pointers and type casting
• Data Structures:
  • Linked list implementation
  • Stack and queue using arrays
  • Binary search tree basics
• File Operations:
  • File modes and access
  • Text file processing
  • Binary file handling
  • Random access operations
• Preprocessor:
  • Macro definition and usage
  • Conditional compilation
  • Include guards
  • Built-in macros