Chapter 2

input/output function

a C function that performs an input or output operation

preprocessor directive

a C program line beginning with # that provides an instruction to the preprocessor

library

a collection of useful functions and symbols that may be accessed by a program

prompt (prompting message)

a message displayed to indicate what data to enter and in what form

batch mode

a mode of program execution in which the program scans its data from a previously prepared data file

interactive mode

a mode of program execution in which the user responds to prompts by entering (typing in) data

cursor

a moving place marker that indicates the next position on the screen where information will be displayed

variable

a name associated with a memory cell whose value can change

constant macro

a name that is replaced by a particular constant value before the program is sent to the compiler

ASCII code

a particular code that specifies the integer representing each char value

data type

a set of values and operations that can be performed on those values

placeholder

a symbol beginning with % in a format string that indicates where to display the output value

preprocessor

a system program that modifies a C program prior to its compilation

syntax error

a violation of the C grammar rules, detected during program translation (compilation)

standard identifier

a word having special meaning but one that a programmer may redefine (but redefinition is not recommended!)

reserved word

a word that has special meaning in C

run-time error

an attempt to perform an invalid operation, detected during program execution

logic error

an error caused by following an incorrect algorithm

representational error

an error due to coding a real number as a finite number of binary digits

arithmetic underflow

an error in which a very small computational result is represented as zero

cancellation error

an error resulting from applying an arithmetic operation to operands of vastly different magnitudes; effect of smaller operand is lost

arithmetic overflow

an error that is an attempt to represent a computational result that is too large

mixed-type expression

an expression with operands of different types

input operation

an instruction that copies data from an input device into memory

output operation

an instruction that displays information stored in memory

assignment statement

an instruction that stores a value or a computational result in a variable

unary operator

an operator with one operand

binary operator

an operator with two operands

function call

calling or activating a function

type cast

converting an expression to a different type by writing the desired type in parentheses in front of the expression

function argument

enclosed in parentheses following the function name; provides information needed by the function

format string

in a call to printf, a string of character enclosed in quotes ("), which specifies the form of the output line

print list

in a call to printf, the variables or expressions whose values are displayed

program documentation

information (comments) that enhances the readability of a program

executable statements

program lines that are converted to machine language instructions and executed by the computer

debugging

removing errors from a program

variable declarations

statements that communicate to the compiler the names of variables in the program and the kind of information stored in each variable

comment

text beginning with /* and ending with */ that provides supplementary information but is ignored by the preprocessor and compiler

newline escape sequence

the character sequence \n, which is used in a format string to terminate an output line

mixed-type assignment

the expression being evaluated and the variable to which it is assigned have different data types

field width

the number of columns used to display a value

declarations

the part of a program that tells the compiler the names of memory cells in a program