File Input/Output in C: Managing Files and Streams

This lecture covers the fundamentals of file input and output in the C programming language. It begins with the representation of files using the FILE type defined in stdio.h, emphasizing the importance of using pointers for file manipulation. The instructor explains how to open files using the fopen function, detailing the various modes available for reading and writing, including text and binary modes. Error handling during file operations is highlighted, particularly the need to check for NULL returns from fopen. The lecture also discusses reading from and writing to files using fscanf and fprintf, as well as the significance of closing files with fclose to ensure data integrity. Additionally, the instructor introduces functions for checking the end of a file and handling errors. Examples of reading and writing to both text and binary files are provided, illustrating the use of fwrite and fread. The lecture concludes with recommendations for safe file handling practices, including managing buffer sizes to prevent overflow issues.