scanf, printf, fgets, and More | C Programming for Microcontrollers

C Programming – Standard Input/Output Functions (Hands-on Exercises)

🔹 Hi, I’m Behnam Jafari. Welcome to PicoBit-Tech!
Learn C programming the right way with practical exercises designed for microcontroller programming and embedded systems. In this video, we explore essential input and output functions in C with six hands-on exercises to improve your coding skills and understanding of I/O operations.

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🚀 What You’ll Learn

By the end of this lesson, you will master:

✅ Reading input using scanf() (integers and strings)
✅ Understanding the difference between scanf() and fgets() for string input
✅ Printing output using printf(), puts(), and putchar()
✅ Common pitfalls and best practices for C I/O functions

This tutorial emphasizes efficient and reliable coding practices, perfect for both embedded and general-purpose programming.

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🔍 Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction
01:09 – Exercise 1: Reading Input from the Keyboard Using scanf()
04:36 – Exercise 2: Reading an Integer Using scanf()
08:20 – Exercise 3: Reading a String and an Integer Simultaneously
14:05 – Exercise 4: Using puts() to Print a String
15:18 – Exercise 5: Reading a Full Line of Input with fgets()
20:16 – Exercise 6: Using putchar() to Print a Single Character

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💡 Exercise Highlights

Exercise 1: Reading Input with scanf()

• Define a string variable (e.g., 11 characters + null terminator).

• Prompt the user with printf() to enter a string.

• Use scanf() to read input. Note: scanf() stops at the first whitespace, so multi-word strings will be truncated.

• Debug with Eclipse IDE and use an infinite loop (while(1)) for manual pause.

Exercise 2: Reading an Integer

• Define an integer variable and prompt the user.

• Use scanf("%d", &var) to store the input.

• Ensure you pass the variable’s address (&) to avoid warnings.

Exercise 3: Reading a String and Integer Together

• Prompt the user for a string followed by an integer.

• Use %s for the string and %d for the integer.

• Note: Multi-word strings will break with scanf(). Use fgets() for full-line input.

Exercise 4: Using puts()

• Display strings with puts() — automatically adds a newline after printing.

• Comment out unused variables in embedded systems to save RAM.

Exercise 5: Reading Full Lines with fgets()

• fgets() reads entire strings including spaces.

• Syntax: fgets(str, num, stdin)

• Manage buffer sizes carefully for embedded systems.

Exercise 6: Using putchar()

• Print individual characters efficiently.

• Useful for low-level or memory-constrained applications.

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🎯 Why Watch This Video

• Master standard input/output functions in C

• Avoid common mistakes with scanf() and fgets()

• Learn memory-aware programming practices for embedded systems

• Build a foundation for real-world microcontroller programming