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