COMP2017/9017 page of 11
Multiple choice. 1 mark each unless stated otherwise
Question 1 What is the di↵erence between a C string and any char array?
C string uses the last character to indicate the end of the string.
char array does not store any quote characters
C string is stored in static memory space
no di↵erence
Question 2 What is the value of the following code?
int c = "QUOKKA"[3];
char k[] = { 0, 98, 99, 98, 0 };
k[0] = c;
printf("%s\n", (char*)k);
Kbcb
No output. Segmentation Fault
K
Cannot compile
Question 3 Which of the following is valid C code syntax?
String str = "12345";
int i = 0;
while ( i++ < str.length());
str = "12345";
for (c in str):
continue;
char *str = "12345";
while (*str++);
String str = "12345";
int i = 0;
for (int i = 0; i < str.length();
++i);
char *str = "12345";
while (i++ && i < strlen(str); ) continue
None of these answers are correct.
Question 4 | - Multiple answer. Worth 2 marks
Which statements are true about the C preprocessor?
It can define a macro
It can be used for conditional compilation
It cannot produce errors
It is a program run after linking
#include is a command that will search the
current directory
It performs text processing
It identifies the command #define
It is only available in UNIX or Linux systems
COMP2017/9017 page of 11
Question 5 (Memory) (15 marks)
Write the memory contents after execution of all statements up to line 17. Write the names of each variable,
its address and any data associated with them in the appropriate box.
1 extern void *lerp(void *);
2 struct tee {
3 int x;
4 void* m;
5 void *p;
6 };
7 struct tee t;
8 int main( int argc , char **argv ) {
9 int a = 73;
10 static void *(* flerp)(void*) = lerp;
11 t.x = 51;
12 t.m = &a;
13 struct tee s = t;
14 s = *(( struct tee*)( flerp((void *)&t)));
15 t.p = &s;
16 printf("%s\n", (const char *)&a);
17 // show snapshot of memory at this statement
The starting address for each segment of memory has been provided for you. For the purpose of this exam,
you should assume that memory is allocated positively from 0x0000 to 0xFFFF.
sizeof(char) is 1 byte and sizeof(char *) is 4 bytes. The ASCII value of
’A’ is 65. Assume memory does not align to nearest word size.
Consider these two lines of code, the memory contents may look like !
char a = 5;
char *b = &a;
Sample memory
0x7000 a 5
0x7001 b 0x7000
Program code
0x2000
Static/Global
0x3000
Heap
0x4000
Stack
0x7000
COMP2017/9017 page of 11
Question 6 (Programming) (15 marks)
Write a C function
int best argset(int n, int *argc, char ***argv)
best argset function returns the index of one argument set with the highest number of characters. An
array of arguments is defined in the same memory format as the C main function int argc, char **argv,
where argc is a single integer representing the number of arguments and argv is the array of C strings.
This is known as the argument set.
best argset function accepts an array of argument sets, where n is the number of argument sets, argc
is an array of integers, argv is an array of an array of C strings. The argument set with the highest number
of characters has an index from the input. This index is the return value of the function.
On success, the index of the argument set with the highest number of characters is returned. If there is
more than one argument set discovered to have the highest, only one is returned and it can be any. -1 is
returned if any parameter is NULL, or n is less than or equal to zero.
Example of input data and return value:
index argc[index] argv[index][0] argv[index][1] argv[index][2]
0 3 ”abc” ”def” ”ghi”
1 1 ”ruck rover”
2 3 ”./a.out” ”launch” ”5”
Returns 2
The following function may be useful:
size t strlen(const char *str);
The function strlen() calculates the length of the string pointed to by str, excluding the terminating null
byte.
COMP2017/9017 page of 11
COMP2017/9017 page of 11
Question 7 (Memory) (20 marks)
The following code implements an operation on a doubly linked list to add one element.
30 struct node {
31 struct node *next;
32 struct node *prev;
33 int* value;
34 };
35
36 // takes pointer to pointer to value and performs operations on value
37 void add_value(struct node** valuep , int* v){
38 // printf (" addnull %d v %d"
39 if(valuep == NULL){
40 struct node **v = malloc(sizeof **v);
41 valuep = v;
42
43 }
44 if( (* valuep) == NULL ){
45 // printf (" valuep null %d",*v);
46 // set new value
47
48 struct node *val = malloc(sizeof *val);
49 *valuep = val;
50 val -> next = NULL;
51 val -> prev = NULL;
52 val -> value = v;
53 } else if( (* valuep) -> next == NULL){
54 // printf (" valuep next null %d v %d\n",*(* valuep)->value ,*v);
55 struct node *val = malloc(sizeof *val);
56 (* valuep)->next = val;
57 val -> next = NULL;
58 val -> prev = *valuep;
59 val -> value = v;
60 // printf (" valuep %d v %d\n",*(* valuep)->value , *v);
61 // printf ("val %d v %d\n",*val ->value , *v);
62 //ent -> values = value;
63 // add_value(ent , value);
64
65 } else {
66 add_value( &(* valuep)->next , v);
67 }
68
69 }
70 ...
Questions
(a) Does the code compile without errors (Yes / No)? 4 marks
(i) If you answered YES, what is wrong with the function add value? annotate the code with brief
comments and arrows, circles etc.
(ii) If you answered NO, what syntax needs to be corrected to make the code compile? annotate the
code with brief comments and arrows, circles etc.
COMP2017/9017 page of 11
Error message - 4 marks
Any potential syntax errors were removed, and the program was run with the test data. The following
message is shown:
ASAN:DEADLYSIGNAL
- =================================================================
- ==6==ERROR: AddressSanitizer: SEGV on unknown address 0x000000000000 (pc 0x0000004ea9e9 bp 0x7ffd530238f0 sp 0x7ffd53023830 T0)
- #0 0x4ea9e8 in add_value /home/linked-data.c:53:26
- #1 0x4ec40c in main /home/linked-data.c:589:7
- #2 0x7f512bd6d82f in __libc_start_main (/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6+0x2082f)
- #3 0x4185e8 in _start (/home/linked-data+0x4185e8)
- AddressSanitizer can not provide additional info.
- SUMMARY: AddressSanitizer: SEGV /home/linked-data.c:53:26 in add_value
- ==6==ABORTING
Describe what the error means, what o↵ending value is present in the stack, and how to fix it.
Memory size - 6 marks
(b) 2 marks Describe what the operator sizeof is achieving in the context of the code on lines 40, 48,
and 55.
(c) 1 mark Given that this program was run on a 64 bit memory addressable CPU. What are the values
of sizeof on lines 40, 48, and 55?
(d) 2 marks Assume the function performs it’s intended purpose of adding one element to the doubly linked
list. If 5 elements were inserted in succession, list all the stack variables associated when inserting the
5th element (the point of insertion can be considered as lines 41, 52, or 59).
(e) 1 mark Assume the function performs it’s intended purpose of adding one element to the doubly linked
list. What is the amount of heap memory allocated after 4 new elements are inserted successfully.
COMP2017/9017 page of 11
Delete - 6 marks
Write the entire function delete value(), include both the prototype and function body. delete value()
removes a specific value, int* v, from the doubly linked list. It will return a pointer to a node struct that
was removed. If there is more than one value, then only one, any chosen one, is removed and is returned.
NULL is returned if 1) there is no such element with the value v, or; 2) the doubly linked list is NULL, or 3)
the value v is NULL.
COMP2017/9017 page of 11
Question 8 (Programming) (30 marks)
Question 8A Sequential part - 16 marks
This question considers a 2D grid of floating point numbers with dimensions width and height. Find
the position of this grid that has the highest magnitude average. This function computes the sum of the
neighbouring values in the 2D grid (NorthWest, North, NorthEast, East, SouthEast, South, SouthWest,
West) plus the centre and divides this by 9. Neighbours outside the dimensions of the array are treated as
value zero. The grid is given as a 1D array which stores the 2D grid positions row-major order. NULL is
returned in found x or found y if there is an error. The error can arise if the input array is NULL, dimensions
are  0, or found x or found y are NULL values themselves.
The 1D array sequence: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 represents the grid:
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
f(x, y) =
1
9
X
x1y1|array(i, j)|
Write the code needed for the following function prototype to work. You may write additional helper
functions if needed.
// pre: w > 0 h > 0
// returns the position of the highest magnitude average of the array
// in variables found_x and found_y
void get_hma(float *array , int w, int h, int *found_x , int *found_y)
Question 8B Parallel part - 7 marks
Consider a parallelisation of this problem. Describe in words how you would use 2 or more threads to
gain a speedup > 1.
In your answer, you should explain if the approach is task parallel, data parallel, or both and also provide
a drawing of a task-dependency graph that supports your description.
Question 8C Parallel part - 7 marks
Write a parallel solution using exactly 4 threads to gain a speedup> 1. Write your solution with notation that
is similar to pthreads. thread create(), thread join(), lock(mutex), unlock(mutex). sem wait(s),
sem post(s), sem init(s, value).
COMP2017/9017 page of 11
Question 9 (Concurrency) (15 marks)
Write in ANSWER BOOKLET
You are to create an interprocess communication mechanism.
A program’s initial process, P0, creates and maintains a stack data structure. Many child processes are
created thereafter and they rely on the same stack data structure of the parent process P0.
Only the parent process P0 can modify the stack contents. Any child process can operate on the stack
by communicating with P0.
There are two types of child processes:
• Worker - performs operations with the stack if is is not full or not empty.
• Cleaner - performs operations with the stack when it is full or when it is empty. The cleaner aims to
make the stack non-empty and non-full.
Cleaner processes cannot operate on the stack while Worker processes operate and vice versa.
The stack operations are as follows:
// places the integer x on top of the stack
// Otherwise , err is set to non -zero value if the stack is full
void push( struct stack *, int x, int *err );
// removes and returns the integer on top of the stack
// Otherwise , err is set to non -zero value if the stack is empty
int pop( struct stack *, int *err );
// returns the integer on top of the stack
// Otherwise , err is set to non -zero value if the stack is empty
int peek( struct stack *, int *err );
// returns non -zero value when empty
int is_empty( );
Describe interprocess communication necessary to keep the stack synchronised for N child
processes, where child processes can be either Worker or Cleaner types.
You can describe your answer with pseudocode, or C code (most accurate). If your answer is not clear,
marks can be deducted.
COMP2017/9017 page of 11
Useful functions for your reference:
Setting the signal handler
typedef void (*sighandler_t)(int);
sighandler_t signal(int signum, sighandler_t handler);
Sets the disposition of the signal signum to handler, which is either SIG_IGN, SIG_DFL, or the
address of a programmer defined function (a "signal handler").
signal() returns the previous value of the signal handler, or SIG_ERR on error.
Sending the signal
int raise(int sig);
Sends a signal to the calling process or thread.
If the signal causes a handler to be called, raise() will return only after the signal
handler has returned.
raise() returns 0 on success, and nonzero for failure.
Setting up the pipe
int pipe(int pipefd[2]);
creates a pipe, a unidirectional data channel that can be used for interprocess communication.
The array pipefd is used to return two file descriptors referring to the ends of the pipe.
pipefd[0] refers to the read end of the pipe. pipefd[1] refers to the write end of the pipe.
On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
End of the Exam