COSC 1320 - C Language

Credit Hours: 3
Contact Hours - Lecture: 2 Lab: 3
Introduces the fundamental concepts of structured programming in the “C” language. Topics include data types; control structures; functions, structures, arrays, pointers, pointer arithmetic, unions, and files; the mechanics of running, testing, and debugging programs; introduction to programming; and introduction to the historical and social context of computing. This course is recommended for four-year transfer students. CIP Code: (1102015207)
Prerequisite: COSC 1315 or ITSE 1302.
Student Learning Outcomes
1 - Analyze and explain the behavior of simple programs involving the fundamental programming constructs. 2 - Modify and expand short programs that use standard conditional and iterative control structures and functions; choose appropriate conditional and iteration constructs for a given programming task. 3 - Design, implement, test, and debug a program that uses each of the following fundamental programming constructs: basic computation, simple I/O, standard conditional and iterative structures, and the definition of functions. 4 - Apply the techniques of structured (functional) decomposition to break a program into smaller pieces. 5 - Describe the mechanics of parameter passing and demonstrate the difference between call-by-value and call-by-reference parameter passing. 6 - Discuss the importance of algorithms in the problem-solving process, identify the necessary properties of good algorithms, and create algorithms for solving simple problems. 7 - Use pseudocode or a programming language to implement, test, and debug algorithms for solving simple problems. 8 - Discuss the representation and use of primitive data types and built-in data structures. 9 - Explain the reasons for using different formats to represent numerical data. 10 - Explain basic concepts of secure programming functions. 11 - Discuss the properties of good software design. 12 - Describe the phases of program translation from source code to executable code and the files produced by these phases; explain the software life cycle and its phases, including the deliverables that are produced. 13 - Identify and describe the properties of a variable such as its associated address, value, scope, persistence, and size. 14 - Explain how abstraction mechanisms support the creation of reusable software components.