Learning outcomes

In this course, we will examine a key concept, foundational to any programming language: the usage of memory.

This course builds upon the basic concept of pointers, discussed in C Programming: Modular Programming and Memory Management , and introduces the more advanced usage of pointers and pointer arithmetic. Arrays of pointers and multidimensional arrays are addressed, and you will learn how to allocate memory for your own data during program execution. This is called dynamic memory allocation at runtime using pointers.

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Visualize the concept of a pointer and use it to pass variables to functions by reference in order to modify them via the function

• Apply pointer arithmetic in order to address elements of both one-dimensional and multi-dimensional arrays

• Use arrays of strings to store lists of strings in one array variable

• Control memory usage by dynamically allocating and freeing memory at runtime

Prerequisites

We recommend you to have taken the first 3 courses of the Specialization C Programming with Linux. Regarding the onboarding, you will be able to immediately start coding in C with the help of powerful yet simple coding tools right within the web browser. No need to install anything!

Workload

Students are expected to spend roughly 2 to 3 hours a week watching the videos, tutorials, responding to the activities and participating actively in the forums. This is an estimation based on 3 weeks of learning effort.

Grading and Certificate

This course includes both participants who are auditing the course (7-day free trial) and participants who working toward a Specialization by completing all seven courses in the program. If you wish to have your course work validated for the C Programming with Linux Specialization, you must upgrade to a subscription. Auditing participants will not have access to any of the graded programming activities.

If you cannot afford the full price, please note that Coursera may be able to provide financial assistance under certain conditions.

To pass the course you need to pass each graded assignment with a grade of at least 80%. You can continue retaking each graded assessment until they successfully pass. All graded assessments need to be passed to earn the certificate.

To pass this course you will have to complete several activities:

• complete all quizzes

• submit C programs through Taskgrader (an automated grading tool that also provides feedback on your code)

Attempts: Learning code requires writing code and correcting your mistakes. You have unlimited attempts on the Taskgrader coding activities.

Course Schedule

This course is a self-paced. This means that you can start whenever you would like and progress at your own pace. Although there are not activity deadlines, we recommend you spend at least 2-3 hours per week on this course.

Accessibility and Accommodations

"We envision a world where anyone, anywhere can transform their life by accessing the world’s best learning experience. This includes learners of all abilities. We strive to ensure that the learner experience on our platform is accessible to individuals with disabilities and that the platform allows our partners to create accessible content." See Coursera's full Accessibility Statement , including how to contact Learner Support to request accommodations and support.

To go further

Enroll in the next course of the C Programming with Linux Specialization.