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C: Foundations for Systems Programming
Learn C through 15 complete lessons: foundations, functions, arrays, pointers, files, dynamic memory, debugging, build tooling, and a production-minded command-line capstone.
15 complete lessons 3020 min of guided learning 15 modules complete
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COURSE CONTENTS
Build the mental model before the syntax grows.
All 15 workshops are fully open: study the explanations, run and edit beginner-safe C examples, repair compiler errors, complete independent labs, and check your understanding. The final capstone brings the individual skills together in one tested command-line application.
01
C foundations
- What C Is and How C Programs RunTrace a C program from source file through compilation, linking, and terminal output.50 min
- Your First C ProgramCreate, run, read, and repair a complete C source file with deliberate output and exit status.55 min
- Variables, Types, and OperatorsStore values with int, double, and text variables; calculate, reassign, protect constants, and make type-aware output.65 min
- Input and Output with printf and scanfFormat typed output, read int and double values with scanf, handle address markers, and build a safe input-driven report.70 min
- Conditions and LoopsMake ordered decisions with comparisons and logical operators, trace boundaries, and repeat work predictably with if/else, for, and while.115 min
02
Program structure and data
- Functions, Headers, and ScopeDesign focused typed functions, pass arguments by value, return reusable results, publish prototypes through headers, and reason about local and file scope.120 min
- Arrays and StringsStore ordered numeric data, process it safely with bounded loops, build and inspect C strings, and avoid off-by-one and capacity errors.135 min
- Pointers and Memory AddressesRead and store memory addresses, dereference pointers safely, mutate caller-owned values, traverse arrays, and distinguish valid addresses from null and dangling pointers.150 min
- Structures, Enumerations, and UnionsModel related fields with structures, represent a closed set of states with enumerations, select a shared-memory representation with unions, and make data invariants explicit.165 min
- Files and Command-Line ArgumentsOpen, read, write, and close text files with explicit error handling; then accept, validate, and explain command-line arguments through argc and argv.220 min
03
Memory, tooling, and practice
- Dynamic Memory AllocationAllocate, grow, and release runtime-sized storage with malloc, calloc, realloc, and free while making ownership, overflow checks, and failure paths explicit.240 min
- Preprocessor Directives and Separate CompilationBuild maintainable multi-file C programs with headers, include guards, macros, conditional compilation, linkage, and explicit compile-and-link steps.255 min
- Errors, Debugging, and Undefined BehaviorDiagnose C programs systematically with compiler warnings, assertions, a debugger, sanitizers, and a precise model of defined, unspecified, implementation-defined, and undefined behavior.360 min
- Build Tools and MakefilesAutomate correct C builds with Make targets, prerequisites, recipes, automatic variables, generated dependency files, debug and release configurations, tests, and clean rebuilds.420 min
- Project: Command-Line Inventory ManagerBuild and test a complete C command-line inventory manager with a layered module design, CSV persistence, validated commands, dynamic storage, safe errors, and repeatable builds.600 min