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Understanding NULL and Recursion in C Programming

Learn about the significance of NULL in C programming, covering file operations, recursion, and tree representation for efficient coding. Understand binary tree concepts like depth and counting using recursive cases.

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Understanding NULL and Recursion in C Programming

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  1. Week 7 Part 2 • Kyle Dewey

  2. Overview • NULL • Recursion • Exam #2 Review

  3. NULL

  4. Recall... • When a file can’t be opened with fopen, it returns NULL • NULL is a special value in C

  5. NULL • Is zero at the binary representation • Is a pointer • Can be assigned to any pointer type char* string = NULL; int* arr = NULL;

  6. NULL • Can be used as a sentinel value • Often used to show that an operation couldn’t be performed • Return NULL if we can’t open a file, etc.

  7. Example #define LENGTH 4 int array[] = { 1, 2, 3, 4 }; int* subarray( int start ) { if ( start >= 0 && start < LENGTH ) { return &(array[ start ]); } else { return NULL; } }

  8. Caveats • If we try to dereference a NULL pointer, the program will crash, usually with a segmentation fault • This means it tried to access memory that it didn’t have permission to access char* string = NULL; string[ 2 ] = ‘f’; // crash printf( “%s\n”, string ); // crash

  9. Caveat • It can also make code trickier • Is NULL a possible value? • In real code, there are places where NULL is impossible but people check anyway (and vice-versa!)

  10. Recursion

  11. Binary Tree • Mathematical concept • A special kind of graph

  12. Counting • Basic operation: how many nodes are in the tree?

  13. Depth • Basic operation: how deep is the tree?

  14. Representation • Nodes: the circles • Edges: things that connect the circles • Nodes in a binary tree have at most two edges connecting to other nodes • No cycles

  15. Representation • Each node has two edges • An edge is either connected or it’s not

  16. Code Representation • Hint: nodes should be represented as structs • What would this definition look like?

  17. Code Representation • Hint: nodes should be represented as structs • What would this definition look like? struct Node { struct Node* left; struct Node* right; };

  18. Code Representation • Represent nodes as struct Nodes • If there is not a connection, use NULL struct Node { struct Node* left; struct Node* right; };

  19. Recursion • A struct Node holds pointers to other struct Nodes • A struct Node is defined in terms of itself!

  20. Recursion • In general, this means there is something defined in terms of itself • Can be data structures (like structs) • Can be functions (a little later) • Broken up into recursive cases and base cases

  21. Base Case • Something not defined in terms of itself • Act to end the recursion • Can be multiple base cases • For a struct Node, this means NULL

  22. Recursive Case • Case that is defined in terms of itself • This is a struct Node that connects to another struct Node

  23. Tree as a Whole • How to represent this? • Interesting note: there are subtrees

  24. Tree as a Whole • Can simply use a struct Node without anything else • This is a very flexible representation

  25. Operations • So keeping this representation in mind...

  26. Counting • Basic operation: how many nodes are in the tree?

  27. Base Case • A tree that is not there (i.e. NULL) has no nodes (i.e. 0 nodes)

  28. Base Case • A tree that is not there (i.e. NULL) has no nodes (i.e. 0 nodes) if ( node == NULL ) { return 0; }

  29. Recursive Case • Given: • The number of nodes on the left • The number of nodes on the right • How many nodes are here? ... ... (3 nodes) (2 nodes)

  30. Recursive Case ... ... (3 nodes) (2 nodes) (3) (2) (current node) nodesLeft + nodesRight + 1;

  31. Full Code

  32. Depth • Basic operation: how deep is the tree?

  33. Base Case • A tree that is not there (i.e. NULL) has no depth (i.e. 0)

  34. Base Case • A tree that is not there (i.e. NULL) has no depth (i.e. 0) if ( node == NULL ) { return 0; }

  35. Recursive Case • Given: • The depth of the tree on the left • The depth of the tree on the right • How deep is the tree? ... ... (depth 3) (depth 2)

  36. Recursive Case ... ... (depth 3) (depth 2) (3) (2) (current node) max( depthLeft, depthRight ) + 1

  37. Full Code

  38. Exam #2

  39. Exam #2 • Exam is unintentionally cumulative • Still need to know how to use if, assignment, etc. • Will not focus on that material

  40. Focus • Functions • Prototype • Definition • Calls • For all of these, what it is and how to do it

  41. Focus • Loops (while, do/while, for) • How to read them • How to write them • Be able to say what code does (i.e. the variable x is 5 after this code runs)

  42. Focus • Arrays • Initialize them • Index into them to get / set values • “Given an array of length 10, find the first element that...”

  43. Focus • File I/O • Opening / closing • Reading / writing

  44. Focus • Types • Be able to identify the type of an expression • Just like last time, except now pointers are fully in the mix

  45. Focus • Structs • You will not have to trace crazy pointer logic • You will need to know how to access them and set fields in them • Know what -> does

  46. Don’t Worry About • Recursion • typedef

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