C Programming: Modular Programming and Memory Management - 3

Dartmouth College via Coursera

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/c-programming-modular-programming-and-memory-management

Introduction

### Course Review: C Programming: Modular Programming and Memory Management - 3 If you're seeking a solid foundation in C programming, **Coursera's course on C Programming: Modular Programming and Memory Management** is an excellent choice. Designed for learners eager to deepen their understanding of coding principles, this course delves into essential concepts such as modular programming, functions, pointers, and memory management. #### Course Overview The course begins by addressing one of the fundamental concepts in programming: modular programming. Participants will learn to break down complex tasks into manageable components, which not only makes coding more efficient but also enhances readability and maintainability. By mastering functions—akin to mathematical functions—students will develop the ability to create reusable code, an essential skill for any programmer. #### Syllabus Breakdown 1. **Welcome** - The course kicks off with an introduction to the learning tools developed by the instructional team, which are tailored to facilitate a smoother learning experience. 2. **Week 1: Functions and Recursion** - The first week focuses on decomposing complex programs into functions. Students will learn to create functions, draft prototypes, call functions, and return values. This foundational skill is crucial for anyone looking to write clean, organized, and efficient code. 3. **Week 2: Memory and the Scope of Variables** - In the second week, participants explore the Von Neumann architecture model and delve into memory organization and addressing. The use of the `sizeof()` function helps students understand different data types and the implications of overflow and roundoff errors. Additionally, learners will gain insight into the scope of variables and how they influence program behavior. 4. **Week 3: Pointers** - The final week is dedicated to pointers, a core aspect of C programming. Students will visualize and utilize pointers through simple arithmetic, culminating in the ability to create functions that manipulate arrays. This week is particularly significant, as understanding pointers is often a challenge for new programmers, yet it is essential for efficient memory management and data manipulation. 5. **Concluding the Course** - As the course wraps up, participants reflect on what they've learned and how to apply it in future programming endeavors, ensuring they take away valuable insights and skills. #### Course Experience The interactive nature of Coursera's platform enhances the learning experience, allowing for a combination of video lectures, quizzes, and hands-on programming assignments. The structured approach, combined with clear explanations and examples, makes complex topics accessible to learners at all levels. #### Recommendation I highly recommend **C Programming: Modular Programming and Memory Management - 3** for anyone looking to strengthen their programming skills, particularly in C. Whether you are a beginner or someone looking to refresh your knowledge, the course is designed to foster a deep understanding of key programming concepts. By the end of the course, you will not only have a stronger grasp of how to write modular code but also an appreciation for the underlying principles of computer architecture and memory management. In conclusion, this course is an invaluable resource for aspiring programmers and a necessary stepping stone toward becoming a proficient C developer. Embrace the opportunity to enhance your coding skills—it's a decision you won't regret!

Syllabus

Welcome

Let's start coding. You will get familiar with the leaning tools our team has developed to make learning code easier.

Week 1: Functions and recursion

This week, you will to decompose a more complex program into various functions. To do this, you will learn to create functions, write function calls and prototypes, call on functions, and have functions return specific values.

Week 2: Memory and the scope of variables

This week you will know more of the Von Neumann architecture model. You will recall how computer memory is organized and addressed, use the sizeof() functions with variables of different types, recognize overflow and roundoff errors, and identify the scope of a variable.

Week 3: Pointers

This week, you will visualize, describe, and utilize points using simple pointer arithmetic. You will be able to create functions to which arrays can be passed and that can modify arrays.

Concluding the course

Overview

Enhance your coding skills along your path to becoming a proficient C programmer with the essential concepts of functions and pointers. In this course you will be introduced to the concept of modular programming: that is, dividing up more complex tasks into manageable pieces. You will learn how to write your own functions (just like functions in mathematics for example). You will also gain insight into a computer's architecture and learn how its memory is organized. Given the vast amount of

Skills

Computer Programming C Programming

Reviews

A good balance between, practice, quizzes, and lecture videos.

Definitely one of the best MOOCs I have ever taken, in this course I learn a lot of concept about memory management

Excellent learning from the best teachers. Learnt pointers properly for the first time.

Awesome content, enables you to understand fundamentals well with enjoyable assignments and codecast tool.

excellent learning experience software a little, not buggy, but awkward to use