CR: COMP 2401 Learning Objectives

Calendar Description

Introduction to programming with procedures and primitive data types, designed for B.C.S. students. Topics include: arrays, strings, pointers, heap and stack memory allocation and deallocation, iterative and recursive linked list manipulations, system/library calls.

Assumed Background

Learning objectives completed before this course.

Learning Objectives

• Gain experience in understanding and working with portions of an existing code base
• Understand the basics of operating systems
• Gain experience in procedural and low-level programming, including:
  • data types and structures
  • memory management
  • program building
  • library functions and system calls
  • shell environment and script programming

Topics

Introduction to Systems Programming

• Understand and apply basic programming conventions:
  • proper variable names
  • appropriate commenting
  • indentation using established style

• Understand how to use primitive data types and structures
  • bit models and representations
  • arrays, strings, structures

• Understand basics of memory management
  • variables
    • primitive data types
    • scope
    • storage class
  • functions
    • pass-by-value
    • pass-by-reference
  • memory allocation
    • static vs. dynamic memory allocation
    • pointers, double pointers
    • garbage collection
  • program memory organization
    • function call stack, contents of stack frame
    • heap
    • data segment
    • code segment

• Program building
  • able to build programs across multiple header and source files

• Library functions and system calls
  • able to research and understand standard library function and system call documentation
  • understand how to create a new library for distribution
  • able to program with system calls:
    • stream and file I/O
    • signal handling
    • multiprocess programming
    • inter-process communications (sockets, RPC)

• Scripting languages
  • understand the basics of shell script programming