C is a high-level structured oriented programming language use to general purpose programming requirements. Basically, C is a collection of its library functions. It is also flexible to add user define functions and include those in C library.
The main usage of C programming language is Language Compilers, Operating Systems, Assemblers, Text Editors, Print Spoolers, Network Drivers, Modern Programs, Data Bases, Language Interpreters, and Utilities.
Table of Contents
Most Popular Common C Programming Interview Questions and Answers
Here we go.
1) What is a stack?
A stack is one form of a data structure. Data is stored in stacks using the FILO (First In Last Out) approach. At any particular instance, only the top of the stack is accessible, which means that in order to retrieve data that is stored inside the stack, those on the upper part should be extracted first. Storing data in a stack is also referred to as a PUSH, while data retrieval is referred to as a POP.
2) What is a sequential access file?
When writing programs that will store and retrieve data in a file, it is possible to designate that file into different forms. A sequential access file is such that data are saved in sequential order: one data is placed into the file after another. To access a particular data within the sequential access file, data has to be read one data at a time, until the right one is reached.
3) What is variable initialization and why is it important?
This refers to the process wherein a variable is assigned an initial value before it is used in the program. Without initialization, a variable would have an unknown value, which can lead to unpredictable outputs when used in computations or other operations.
4) Differentiate Source Codes from Object Codes
Source codes are codes that were written by the programmer. It is made up of the commands and other English-like keywords that are supposed to instruct the computer what to do. However, computers would not be able to understand source codes. Therefore, source codes are compiled using a compiler. The resulting outputs are object codes, which are in a format that can be understood by the computer processor. In C programming, source codes are saved with the file extension .C, while object codes are saved with the file extension .OBJ
5) In C programming, how do you insert quote characters (‘ and “) into the output screen?
This is a common problem for beginners because quotes are normally part of a printf statement. To insert the quote character as part of the output, use the format specifiers \’ (for single quote), and \” (for double quote).
6) What is the use of a ‘\0’ character?
It is referred to as a terminating null character, and is used primarily to show the end of a string value.
7) What is the difference between the = symbol and == symbol?
The = symbol is often used in mathematical operations. It is used to assign a value to a given variable. On the other hand, the == symbol, also known as “equal to” or “equivalent to”, is a relational operator that is used to compare two values.
8) What is the modulus operator?
The modulus operator outputs the remainder of a division. It makes use of the percentage (%) symbol. For example: 10 % 3 = 1, meaning when you divide 10 by 3, the remainder is 1.
9) What is a nested loop?
A nested loop is a loop that runs within another loop. Put it in another sense, you have an inner loop that is inside an outer loop. In this scenario, the inner loop is performed a number of times as specified by the outer loop. For each turn on the outer loop, the inner loop is first performed.
10) Which of the following operators is incorrect and why? ( >=, <=, <>, ==)
<> is incorrect. While this operator is correctly interpreted as “not equal to” in writing conditional statements, it is not the proper operator to be used in C programming. Instead, the operator != must be used to indicate “not equal to” condition.
11) Compare and contrast compilers from interpreters.
Compilers and interpreters often deal with how program codes are executed. Interpreters execute program codes one line at a time, while compilers take the program as a whole and convert it into object code, before executing it. The key difference here is that in the case of interpreters, a program may encounter syntax errors in the middle of execution, and will stop from there. On the other hand, compilers check the syntax of the entire program and will only proceed to execution when no syntax errors are found.
12) How do you declare a variable that will hold string values?
The char keyword can only hold 1 character value at a time. By creating an array of characters, you can store string values in it. Example: “char MyName[50]; ” declares a string variable named MyName that can hold a maximum of 50 characters.
13) Can the curly brackets { } be used to enclose a single line of code?
While curly brackets are mainly used to group several lines of codes, it will still work without error if you used it for a single line. Some programmers prefer this method as a way of organizing codes to make it look clearer, especially in conditional statements.
14) What are header files and what are its uses in C programming?
Header files are also known as library files. They contain two essential things: the definitions and prototypes of functions being used in a program. Simply put, commands that you use in C programming are actually functions that are defined from within each header files. Each header file contains a set of functions. For example: stdio.h is a header file that contains definition and prototypes of commands like printf and scanf.
15) What is syntax error?
Syntax errors are associated with mistakes in the use of a programming language. It maybe a command that was misspelled or a command that must was entered in lowercase mode but was instead entered with an upper case character. A misplaced symbol, or lack of symbol, somewhere within a line of code can also lead to syntax error.
16) What are variables and it what way is it different from constants?
Variables and constants may at first look similar in a sense that both are identifiers made up of one character or more characters (letters, numbers and a few allowable symbols). Both will also hold a particular value. Values held by a variable can be altered throughout the program, and can be used in most operations and computations. Constants are given values at one time only, placed at the beginning of a program. This value is not altered in the program. For example, you can assigned a constant named PI and give it a value 3.1415 . You can then use it as PI in the program, instead of having to write 3.1415 each time you need it.
17) How do you access the values within an array?
Arrays contain a number of elements, depending on the size you gave it during variable declaration. Each element is assigned a number from 0 to number of elements-1. To assign or retrieve the value of a particular element, refer to the element number. For example: if you have a declaration that says “intscores[5];”, then you have 5 accessible elements, namely: scores[0], scores[1], scores[2], scores[3] and scores[4].
18) Can I use “int” data type to store the value 32768? Why?
No. “int” data type is capable of storing values from -32768 to 32767. To store 32768, you can use “long int” instead. You can also use “unsigned int”, assuming you don’t intend to store negative values.
19) Differentiate NULL and VOID.
Null is actually a value, whereas Void is a data type identifier. A variable that is given a Null value simply indicates an empty value. Void is used to identify pointers as having no initial size.
20) What is the primary advantage of a linked list?
A linked list is a very ideal data structure because it can be modified easily. This means that modifying a linked list works regardless of how many elements are in the list.
21) What is the difference between a PUSH and a POP?
Pushing and popping applies to the way data is stored and retrieved in a stack. A push denotes data being added to it, meaning data is being “pushed” into the stack. On the other hand, a pop denotes data retrieval, and in particular refers to the topmost data being accessed.
22) What is a linear search?
A linear search refers to the way a target key is being searched in a sequential data structure. Using this method, each element in the list is checked and compared against the target key, and is repeated until found or if the end of the list has been reached.
23) How does variable declaration affect memory allocation?
The amount of memory to be allocated or reserved would depend on the data type of the variable being declared. For example, if a variable is declared to be of integer type, then 32 bits of memory storage will be reserved for that variable.
24) What is the advantage of the heap over a stack?
Basically, the heap is more flexible than the stack. That’s because memory space for the heap can be dynamically allocated and de-allocated as needed. However, the memory of the heap can at times be slower when compared to that stack.
25) What is a postfix expression?
A postfix expression is an expression in which each operator follows its operands. The advantage of this form is that there is no need to group sub-expressions in parentheses or to consider operator precedence.
26) What is Data abstraction?
Data abstraction is a powerful tool for breaking down complex data problems into manageable chunks. This is applied by initially specifying the data objects involved and the operations to be performed on these data objects without being overly concerned with how the data objects will be represented and stored in memory.
27) How do you insert a new item in a binary search tree?
Assuming that the data to be inserted is a unique value (that is, not an existing entry in the tree), check first if the tree is empty. If it’s empty, just insert the new item in the root node. If it’s not empty, refer to the new item’s key. If it’s smaller than the root’s key, insert it into the root’s left subtree, otherwise, insert it into the root’s right subtree.
28) How does a selection sort work for an array?
The selection sort is a fairly intuitive sorting algorithm,, though not necessarily efficient. To perform this, the smallest element is first located and switched with the element at subscript zero, thereby placing the smallest element in the first position. The smallest element remaining in the subarray is then located next with subscripts 1 through n-1 and switched with the element at subscript 1, thereby placing the second smallest element in the second position. The steps are repeated in the same manner till the last element.
29) How do signed and unsigned numbers affect memory?
In the case of signed numbers, the first bit is used to indicate whether positive or negative, which leaves you with one bit short. With unsigned numbers, you have all bits available for that number. The effect is best seen in the number range (unsigned 8 bit number has a range 0-255, while 8-bit signed number has a range -128 to +127.
30) What is the minimum number of nodes that a binary tree can have?
A binary tree can have a minimum of zero nodes, which occurs when the nodes have NULL values. Furthermore, a binary tree can also have 1 or 2 nodes.
31) What are dynamic data structures?
Dynamic data structures are structures that expand and contract as a program runs. It provides a flexible means of manipulating data because it can adjust according to the size of the data.
32) In what data structures are pointers applied?
Pointers that are used in linked list have various applications in the data structure. Data structures that make use of this concept include the Stack, Queue, Linked List and Binary Tree.
33) Do all declaration statements result in a fixed reservation in memory?
Most declarations do, with the exemption of pointers. Pointer declaration does not allocate memory for data, but for the address of the pointer variable. Actual memory allocation for the data comes during run-time.
34) What are ARRAYs?
When dealing with arrays, data is stored and retrieved using an index that actually refers to the element number in the data sequence. This means that data can be accessed in any order. In programming, an array is declared as a variable having a number of indexed elements.
35) What is the minimum number of queues needed when implementing a priority queue?
The minimum number of queues needed in this case is two. One queue is intended for sorting priorities while the other queue is intended for actual storage of data.
36) Which sorting algorithm is considered the fastest?
There are many types of sorting algorithms: quick sort, bubble sort, balloon sort, radix sort, merge sort, etc. Not one can be considered the fastest because each algorithm is designed for a particular data structure and data set. It would depend on the data set that you would want to sort.
37) Differentiate STACK from ARRAY.
Data that is stored in a stack follows a LIFO pattern. This means that data access follows a sequence wherein the last data to be stored will the first one to be extracted. Arrays, on the other hand, does not follow a particular order and instead can be accessed by referring to the indexed element within the array.
38) Give a basic algorithm for searching a binary search tree.
if the tree is empty, then the target is not in the tree, end search
2. if the tree is not empty, the target is in the tree
3. check if the target is in the root item
4. if target is not in the root item, check if target is smaller than the root’s value
5. if target is smaller than the root’s value, search the left subtree
6. else, search the right subtree
39) What is a dequeue?
A dequeue is a double-ended queue. This is a structure wherein elements can be inserted or removed from either end.
40) What is a bubble sort and how do you perform it?
A bubble sort is one sorting technique that can be applied to data structures such as an array. It works by comparing adjacent elements and exchanges their values if they are out of order. This method lets the smaller values “bubble” to the top of the list, while the larger value sinks to the bottom.
41) What are the parts of a linked list?
A linked list typically has two parts: the head and the tail. Between the head and tail lie the actual nodes, with each node being linked in a sequential manner.
42) How does selection sort work?
Selection sort works by picking the smallest number from the list and placing it at the front. This process is repeated for the second position towards the end of the list. It is the simplest sort algorithm.
43) What is a graph?
A graph is one type of data structure that contains a set of ordered pairs. These ordered pairs are also referred to as edges or arcs, and are used to connect nodes where data can be stored and retrieved.
44) Differentiate linear from non linear data structure.
The linear data structure is a structure wherein data elements are adjacent to each other. Examples of linear data structure include arrays, linked lists, stacks and queues. On the other hand, non-linear data structure is a structure wherein each data element can connect to more than two adjacent data elements. Examples of non linear data structure include trees and graphs.
45) What is an AVL tree?
An AVL tree is a type of binary search tree that is always in a state of partially balanced. The balance is measured as a difference between the heights of the subtrees from the root. This self-balancing tree was known to be the first data structure to be designed as such.
46) What are doubly linked lists?
Doubly linked lists are a special type of linked list wherein traversal across the data elements can be done in both directions. This is made possible by having two links in every node, one that links to the next node and other one that links to the previous node.
47) What is Huffman’s algorithm?
Huffman’s algorithm is associated in creating extended binary trees that has minimum weighted path lengths from the given weights. It makes use of a table that contains frequency of occurrence for each data element.
48) What is Fibonacci search?
Fibonacci search is a search algorithm that applies to a sorted array. It makes use of a divide-and-conquer approach that can greatly reduce the time needed in order to reach the target element.
49) Briefly explain recursive algorithm.
Recursive algorithm targets a problem by dividing it into smaller, manageable sub-problems. The output of one recursion after processing one sub-problem becomes the input to the next recursive process.
50) How do you search for a target key in a linked list?
To find the target key in a linked list, you have to apply sequential search. Each node is traversed and compared with the target key, and if it is different, then it follows the link to the next node. This traversal continues until either the target key is found or if the last node is reached.
