CSE 142 99AU

Final Exam Contents

Here is a list of the topics that might appear on the final exam. The final exam will be comprehensive, but the emphasis will be on topics covered since the second midterm. The exam is also likely to have questions related to this quarter's programming assignments.

• Basic organization of computer: processor, memory, external devices
• Variables, values, expressions, types (int, double, char), type conversions
• Simple input/output (printf, scanf); format conversions in I/O
• Declarations, initialization, assignment and sequential execution
• Conditional execution: if, if-else, switch; logical expressions (&&, ||, !) and DeMorgan's laws
• Iteration: while and for loops
• Functions: function definition, function prototypes, function execution (allocate space, initialize parameters, execute); value-returning vs void functions
• Use of functions to subdivide complex programs into manageable parts
• Call-by-value vs call-by-reference (ie. output parameters, pointers); & and * operators
• Event-driven programming; basic GP142 execution model
• Arrays: declaration, subscripting, rules for use as function parameters (always call-by-reference); 1-D & 2-D arrays.
• Structures: declaration (use of typedef), field selection including -> dereference-and-select operator, arrays of structs.
• Linear and binary search; ~n vs ~log n running time; remember the pictures, don't memorize the code
• Sorting: selection sort (again, remember the picture)
• Strings: '\0'-terminated arrays of characters, <string.h> library basic functions: strlen, strcmp, strcpy, strcat
• File I/O: concept of opening a file for input or output - how the program makes a connection between its internal storage and an external file managed by the operating system; basic functions: fopen, fscanf, fprintf, fclose
• Recursion: be able to read and understand execution of simple recursive functions