Robust C Programming and Debugging

This unit develops students’ ability to write, refactor, and debug C programs with an emphasis on pointers, functions, control flow, input handling, and modular design. Students practice diagnosing common logic and runtime errors, applying defensive coding techniques, and preparing multi-file projects for larger game programming applications.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze C source code to identify and explain common errors and pitfalls (pointer misuse, missing break/parentheses/braces, dangerous loop semicolons, endless loops, and scanf/streaming input issues)
• Apply modularization and refactoring techniques to break larger projects into multiple functions and modules, correctly using pointers in function parameters and maintaining clear interfaces
• Demonstrate systematic debugging and coding best practices by producing improved error messages, addressing compiler warnings, incrementally developing code, and using whitespace/formatting to aid readability
• Evaluate and choose appropriate control structures (if-else, switch-case, ternary, for/while loops) and loop/statement constructs (commas in for loops, assignment operators, operator precedence) to implement correct and efficient program logic