C input contracts and readiness bridge
This required 18–26-hour package replaces the former two-hour bounded-line lab: lessons and prediction 5–7, implementation and diagnostic evidence 8–12, assessment and delayed repair 5–7. Original C syntax, functions, headers, arrays, structs and build practice remains required. This is a partial allocation, not a complete Module 1 or semester estimate.
Before starting
Use a working C compiler and terminal. Record compiler version, target and operating system. The lab chooses C11 and eight-bit bytes. You need functions, arrays, pointers as parameters, size_t, enum values and separate compilation; the original clusters teach these. Read the callback declaration as “a function taking a context pointer and returning an int”; the provided adapter and tests show its use without requiring dynamic allocation.
If you cannot compile two source files into one executable, explain an array's capacity, or distinguish an output result from an error status, revisit the corresponding original cluster before coding. Carry forward Semester 3's contracts, regression evidence and ownership reasoning.
Learning sequence
- Language rules and observations.
- Capacity and recovery.
- Diagnostic evidence.
- Prediction practice, downloadable lab, then CI1–CI6 assessment.
Selective resources
Reuse the existing K&R reading guide for syntax and stdio. Read N1570 sections 6.3.1.3 and 7.21.7 only when checking conversion or input rules; this is a public C11 committee draft, not a claim about the newest language version. Use official ASan and UBSan documentation for the tool run. Sources checked on 2026-10-23. No purchase or full-book conversion is required.
The code and teaching examples are original. Independent technical review and learner timing pilots remain pending. Bounded storage here does not guarantee bounded input time, Unicode decoding, asynchronous I/O or arbitrary pointer validity.