General description
This module is designed to to provide experience of using the Unix environment and supporting tools as well as an understanding of the programming language C.

Aims
This module is designed to to provide experience of using the Unix environment and supporting
tools as well as an understanding of the programming language C.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module, students will:

• be able to issue complex commands in a UNIX environment;
• be able to write Unix shell scripts using variables and control structures;
• be able to use a range of Unix utility programs;
• be able to explain the philosophy behind the creation of the C language;
• be able to read, write and debug C programs;
• be familiar with aspects of the programming interface between UNIX and C.

Syllabus
1. Introduction - 1 lecture
Overall introduction to the module.

2. Unix at the command line - 2 lectures
An introduction to the alternative Unix shells. Shell built-in commands and commonly used external commands and editors.

3. Shell Script programming - 2 lectures
The programming language provided by a selected Unix shell in common usage.

4. Tools of the Unix Environment - 3 lectures
Purpose and usage of Unix environment tools such as sed, sort, uniq, awk, grep and so on.

5. Basic Concepts of "C" - 1 lecture
History of the C language, philosophical dierences between C language design and Java. Basic form of a C program compared with that of a Java program. Using the compiler.

6. Control Structures - 1 lecture
Sequence, branching and iteration in C compared with that of Java.

7. Basic Data Structures - 1 lecture
Review of basic data types and operators in C.

8. Functions - 2 lectures
Discussion of ways in which functions are implemented, and used in C, including parameter passing mechanisms. Input/Output.

9. Composite Data Structures - 1 lecture
A first discussion of Arrays in C.

10. Software Support Tools - 1 lecture
Make, Lint, Debuggers. Libraries and library utilities.

11. C Programming Style and Portability - 1 lecture
Language standards. Portability. Programming standards.

12. Arrays, Pointers and Functions - 2 lectures
A discussion of pointer data types, how they relate to arrays, and how they contrast with references to Java objects.

13. Dynamic Data Structures - 2 lectures
Implementation of various record structures and dynamic structures. Pointers. Malloc. Examples in C. Parallels will be drawn with how the internals of Java do this for you.

14. Pitfalls - 1 lecture
Major problem areas. Design rationale of C and of Java in problem areas.

15. Further Features - 1 lecture
C preprocessor, header files, conditional inclusion, macro substitution, bitwise operators, casts, enumeration, scope, static and external declarations, separate compilation.