C Programming for Python Users

Many scientific modelling programs are written in C, as it is one of the most popular programming languages used by the HPC community. This course covers the basic concepts of C programming, including syntax, core features, and best practices. It targets students and researchers who started their coding journey with Python and would like to learn a low level programming language in depth. Those with some basic C knowledge will also likely learn something new.

Note that although C++ is not covered directly, the vast majority of the content is directly transferable as a starting point for learning C++.

If you have any questions regarding this training, please contact training.nci@anu.edu.au.

Prerequisites

1. Basic experience with Python (Programming with Python).

2. Basic experience with bash or similar Unix shells. (Software Carpentry - The Unix Shell )

3. User experience on Gadi is ideal. (Seminar on Getting Started with Gadi)

Setup

1. Access to a shell that supports SSH.

2. NCI account (instructions will be sent before the event)

Objectives

The training is aiming to empower attendees to

• Gain confidence reading and writing C code

• Gain the prerequisite knowledge for 'Introduction to OpenMP' and 'Introduction to MPI' courses.

Learning Outcomes

At the completion of this training, you will be able to 

• Understand pointers, references, and memory management

• Understand basic principles for writing safe, maintainable C code

• Know how to begin a project