CSC 2210 Final Exam Topics

This list may be incomplete; check back before exam

Students are allowed a single (standard-sized) page of notes, double-sided, typed or hand-written. You cannot simply create a verbatim copy of my notes; you must select key bits of pages and/or write significant parts yourself. You will be required to turn in the page at the end of the exam.

• See exam 1, exam 2 reviews
• Memory maps
  • Draw a memory map for double a, *b, **c; b = &a; c = & b; **c = 1.2;
• Declare identifier before can use it
  • When can an identifier be used before declaration?
• const
  • Is the following legal? void p(const int &x); p(3);
  • Write a function double that takes a value (of any type) and returns that value added to itself without changing the value. Write a fragment of code applying double to some declared, initialize variable, where the type of the variable is in namespace std.
• Arrays in C++ vs. Java, allocating array on stack vs. heap
  • Declare and define a variable names that is an array of pointers to std::string values. Allow up to 20 names. Set the first name to your own name, but all of the rest should be nullptr.
  • C & C++ arrays are passed by reference. Use a struct to create an array that is passed by value.
  • Are Java arrays passed by reference or value?
  • Assume you are implementing void dosomething(int nums[]); and write int s = sizeof(nums); in the body. What does this set s to? Is there a way to change the declaration of nums so s gets a different value?
  • Why are arrays not very useful in Java? Why are they more useful in C++?
  • What methods are available for C++ arrays?
• Declaring, dereferencing pointers
  • Given char *p, knowing the difference between p, *p, and &p
• Count number of negative values in an array of doubles without using []
• nullptr
• Initial value of int xs[100]; (depending on where declared)
• Floating-point constants: 6.022e23

Material since Exam 2

• Note 11: C
  • goals
  • differences, similarities to C++
  • compilation units, linker, static, extern
    • Explain what the linker does. Give as much detail as you can, being sure to go beyond "combines object files".
  • Makefiles; capturing dependencies and actions, make command
    • Write a makefile entry for a command doit if doit reads files p and q and generates r
  • printf/scanf to print/read an integer, string, character
  • arrays vs. pointers, computing addresses
  • typedef struct { ... } name;
  • passing structs as parameters
  • C-style strings, strlen, strcpy, strcat, strcmp
  • two-dimensional arrays, computing addresses with 2-d arrays
  • #define, dangers of using #define instead of templates
  • #if ... #else ... #endif
  • if covered: union
• Note 12: Overloading/copy/move, STL, strings
  • Rule of 5: what are the items, why they are needed
  • recognize move constructor, explain what it does
  • write copy constructor
  • explain elements of assignment operator
  • describe which operator is used in auto x = a; vs. x = b;.
  • given std::string x;, risk of storing x.c_str() in a variable/object
  • =delete to suppress assignment, copy
• Note 13: Streams, formatting
  • passing istream, ostream by reference
  • eof-controlled-loop pattern; why

            while ( ! eof ) { read; process }
    

    is a bad idea
  • purpose of stringstream: convert other data types into strings or from strings
  • using ifstream to read files, ofstream to write
• Note 15: memory in C (& C++), stacks
  • be able to explain how stack is managed: what is a stack frame, what is "sbp" in x86, why "sbp - 4" might be the first local variable, how is data stored in a stack frame
  • memory layout: text, rodata, data, bss, heap, stack
  • using malloc and free
• Note 16: How Computers Work
  • basic gates: AND, OR, NOT - be able to compute result
  • I will give you an interpretation key
  • What a MUX does
  • Processor elements, including microcode
• Note 17: Types
  • three definitions of a type
  • How static, dynamic types work: what has to be done at runtime for dynamic types, compile time for static types
  • advantages, disadvantages of int8_t, int16_t, etc.
  • what void* means, how used in C
  • differences between C and C++ type systems
  • casting using (type)
  • Ada and type equivalence rule based on names
  • Dangers of Ada's name equivalence type system
  • strongly typed: same results on all machines independent of representations
  • what it means to create a function pointer, how it is useful in C
  • Levels 1-6 of the computing abstraction list