VNSGU BCA Sem 2: Programming Skills Using C (204) Practical Solutions - Set E¶

Paper Details

Subject: Programming Skills Using C
Subject Code: 204
Set: E
Semester: 2
Month/Year: April 2025
Max Marks: 25
Time Recommendation: 45 Minutes
Paper: View Paper | Download PDF

Questions & Solutions¶

All questions are compulsory¶

Q1: Maximum of Three Numbers¶

Max Marks: 10

Write a C program to create a user defined function max() which accept 3- numbers and return maximum number from them.

1. Comparison Logic¶

Develop the max() function using conditional statements.

Hint

Use if-else if-else logic to compare the three variables. Return the variable that holds the largest value.

flowchart TD
start[Start Function]
comp1[is a GT b AND a GT c?]
ret_a[Return a]
comp2[is b GT c?]
ret_b[Return b]
ret_c[Return c]

start --> comp1
comp1 -- "Yes" --> ret_a
comp1 -- "No" --> comp2
comp2 -- "Yes" --> ret_b
comp2 -- "No" --> ret_c

View Solution & Output

#include <stdio.h>

// [1] User-defined function to find max
int max(int a, int b, int c) {
    if(a >= b && a >= c)
        return a;
    else if(b >= c)
        return b;
    else
        return c;
}

int main() {
    int x, y, z;
    printf("Enter three numbers: ");
    scanf("%d %d %d", &x, &y, &z);

    // [2] Call function and display
    printf("Maximum Number is: %d\n", max(x, y, z));

    return 0;
}

Step-by-Step Explanation: 1. Initialization: Define a max() UDF that takes three integer parameters and uses conditional checks to compare them. 2. Logic Flow: In main(), read three numbers and pass them as arguments to the max() function. 3. Completion: The function returns the largest value, which is then displayed to the user.

Q2: Python Pandas CSV Analytics¶

Max Marks: 10

Create a DataFrame from CSV file which contains following values: Book_no, Book_name, Price, Author. Perform following operations on it: 1. Print the values of book name. 2. Display book name and author. 3. Display the details of book named 'Let us C'. 4. Display the details of book at location 3^rd.

1. CSV Loading & Selection¶

Process a book catalog using Pandas indexing and filtering.

Hint

Use pd.read_csv() to load. Use df['col'] or df[['col1', 'col2']] for selection, and df.iloc[2] for the 3^rd location (index starts at 0).

flowchart TD
load[Read CSV]
df[Load into DataFrame]
sel[Column Selection]
filt[Filter by Name]
iloc[Access by Index]

load --> df
df --> sel
df --> filt
df --> iloc

View Solution & Output

import pandas as pd

# [0] Create sample CSV for demonstration
data = {
    'Book_no': [1, 2, 3, 4],
    'Book_name': ['Python Pro', 'Let us C', 'Java Hub', 'C++ Expert'],
    'Price': [500, 350, 450, 600],
    'Author': ['Guido', 'Y. Kanetkar', 'James', 'Bjarne']
}
pd.DataFrame(data).to_csv('books.csv', index=False)

# [1] Load DataFrame
df = pd.read_csv('books.csv')

# [i] Print values of book name
print("--- Book Names ---")
print(df['Book_name'])

# [ii] Display book name and author
print("\n--- Name and Author ---")
print(df[['Book_name', 'Author']])

# [iii] Details of 'Let us C'
print("\n--- Details of 'Let us C' ---")
print(df[df['Book_name'] == 'Let us C'])

# [iv] Details of book at 3rd location
print("\n--- 3rd Book Record ---")
print(df.iloc[2])

Step-by-Step Explanation: 1. Initialization: Create a sample book CSV file and load it into a pandas DataFrame using read_csv(). 2. Logic Flow: Select specific columns, filter rows by book name, and access specific records using integer-based indexing with iloc. 3. Completion: Print the specific filtered and indexed data as requested by the operations.

Q3: Viva Preparation¶

Max Marks: 5

Potential Viva Questions

Q: Can a function return more than one value in C?
A: Directly, no. But we can use pointers or structures to return multiple data points indirectly.
Q: What is the difference between loc and iloc in Pandas?
A: loc is label-based (uses row/column names); iloc is integer-position based (uses numeric indices).
Q: How does read_csv() handle headers by default?
A: It assumes the first row of the CSV file contains the column names.
Q: What is a ternary operator in C? Can we use it for finding max of 3?
A: It is a shorthand for if-else (condition ? expr1 : expr2). Yes: max = (a>b) ? (a>c?a:c) : (b>c?b:c).
Q: How do you filter a DataFrame for multiple conditions?
A: Using bitwise operators & (AND) or | (OR), e.g., df[(df['Price'] > 400) & (df['Author'] == 'Guido')].
Q: What is df.info() used for?
A: It provides a summary of the DataFrame including column names, data types, and non-null counts.

Common Pitfalls

Indexing Bias: Remember that iloc[3] gives the 4^th row. For the 3^rd row, use iloc[2].
File Not Found: Ensure books.csv exists in the script's directory before calling read_csv.

Set	Link
Set A	Solutions
Set B	Solutions
Set C	Solutions
Set D	Solutions
Set E	Current Page
Set F	Solutions

Last Updated: April 2025