notes/education/software development/ECE1400/C.md

# Compilation Steps

1. Preprocessing: The preprocessor obeys commands that begin with #, also known as directives
Commands for the preprocessor are called directives. Directives begin with a pound sign, and they do not end with a semicolon.

Example:
```c
#include <stdio.h>
```
2. Compiling. A compiler translates then translates the program into machine instructions. 
3. Linking: The generated objects are combined to create a complete executable.

The preprocessor is typically integrated with the compiler.

# Types
## Strings
A string literal is characters enclosed in double quotation marks.

A newline can be inserted using `\n`.

##  Integers
An integer is a way to store a whole number. In C, integers are signed by default.
## Floats
A float is a decimal value. Slower arithmetic and inexact values are both drawbacks of using floats.
## Variables
A variable must be declared before it is assigned.


# Formatting specifiers
| Specifier | Function                                                                                                                                 |
| --------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `%d`      | Display an integer                                                                                                                       |
| `%f`      | Display a float. Specify the number of places to round to by adding a decimal and a number, eg `%.2f` would round to two decimal places. |
For number formatting specifiers, the convention is as follows:
`%-a.bX`
`%`: Start of the formatting specifier
`-`: (optional) If included, justify value left in space. Otherwise, justify right in space
`a`: (optional) If included, the size of the field in characters.
`.`: Separator between `a` and `b`. Optional if `b` is not specified
`b`: The number of decimal places to round to
`X`: The type of format to use, and the end of the specifier. Use `d` for integer base 10 (decimal) representation, `f` for fixed point decimal, and `e` for exponential notation
# Standard library