THEORY EXAMINATION (SEM–II) 2016-17 COMPUTER SYSTEM AND PROGRAMMING IN C

This document contains the full B.Tech / Diploma – C Programming & Computer Fundamentals semester examination question paper, designed for 100 marks with a duration of 3 hours. The exam evaluates a student’s theoretical knowledge, programming logic, algorithmic thinking, and understanding of core concepts in C programming, data structures, digital computers, and operating systems.

The paper is divided into three major sections: A, B, and C, covering definitions, short answers, programming questions, theoretical concepts, and advanced applications.

SECTION – A (Short Answer Questions – 10 × 2 = 20 Marks)

Students must answer all ten short questions. These questions test core concepts of the C language, basic data structures, and programming approaches.

Key areas covered include:

Meaning of modular programming approach

Definition and types of operators

Purpose of structured programming approach

Types of type conversion (implicit & explicit)

Function to interchange values without a third variable

Definition of function declaration

Various file opening modes in C (r, w, a, rb, wb, etc.)

Introduction to linked lists

Use and purpose of the switch statement

Explanation of basic data types in C

These questions examine fundamental clarity, syntax understanding, and conceptual knowledge.

SECTION – B (Descriptive & Programming Questions – 5 × 10 = 50 Marks)

Students must attempt any five questions. This section covers programming logic, OS fundamentals, arrays, functions, pointers, strings, matrices, and computer architecture.

Topics covered include:

Digital Computers

Definition and detailed block diagram (input, output, CPU, memory, ALU, CU)

Basic Programming

Program to calculate sum of digits of a number

Program to reverse-copy elements from one array to another

Program to sort an integer array in ascending order

Operating Systems

Definition of Operating System

Types (batch, time-sharing, multiprogramming, real-time)

Functions (memory management, process management, file handling)

Matrices

Program to multiply two matrices, taking size and elements from user input

Strings

Definition of strings in C

Explanation of functions like strcpy, strcmp, strlen, strcat

User-defined function to compare two strings

Pointers & Dynamic Memory Allocation

Concept of pointer variables

Explanation of dynamic memory functions (malloc, calloc, realloc, free)

This section tests real programming ability, logical thinking, problem-solving, and conceptual depth.

SECTION – C (Long Questions – 2 × 15 = 30 Marks)

Students must answer any two out of three long questions. This section focuses on advanced programming, data structures, and file handling.

Q3 – Structure & Date Comparison Program

Syntax for defining structures in C

Writing a program to store dates using a structure with members:

date

month

year

Comparing two dates

Displaying “Equal” or “Unequal”

This tests structure usage, conditional logic, and user-defined data types.

Q4 – Short Notes (Any Two)

Stack with push and pop operations

Linked list concept, traversal, insertion, deletion

Command line arguments (argc, argv)

This checks understanding of basic data structures and real-world C programming features.

Q5 – File Handling Program

Explanation of all file opening modes in C

C program to:

Read student records (name + age) from file

Sort them by name in ascending order

Display sorted output

This evaluates file handling, string manipulation, sorting logic, and structured data processing.