Programming and Data Structures · Programming in C
Official IIT answer key · IIT Roorkee · Audited Aug 2026
GATE CSE 2017 Set 1 Q53 · NAT · 2 marks
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
void printlength(char *s, char *t) {
unsigned int c = 0;
int len = ((strlen(s) - strlen(t)) > c) ? strlen(s): strlen(t);
printf("%d
", len);
}
void main() {
char *x = "abc";
char *y = "defgh";
printlength(x,y);
}
Recall that strlen is defined in string.h as returning a value of type size_t, which is an unsigned int. The output of the program is _________.Key concept
No account needed
Sit 5 related Programming in CPYQs as a guest. We'll score the set and show which traps cost marks — sign in only if you want to save the run.
Topic notes
In GATE CS, Programming in C is tested extensively through rigorous code tracing, pointer mechanics, and fundamental semantics rather than high-level syntax trivia. Questions emphasize pointer arithmetic and multidimensional array decay, storage classes (especially static local variables), evaluation order, side effects of increment/decrement operators, parameter passing mechanisms (pass-by-value vs pass-by-reference), and recursive program state tracking. The topic features a nearly balanced split between NAT and MCQ items across 1-mark and 2-mark categories, demanding precise, bug-free execution traces without a compiler.
Full Programming in C guide →Consider the following C program. #include #include void printlength(char *s, char *t) unsigned int c = 0; int len = ((strlen(s) - strlen(t)) > c) ? strlen(s): strlen(t); printf("%d ", len); void main() char *x = "abc"; char *y = "defgh"; printlength(x,y); Recall that strlen is defined in string.h as returning a value of type sizet , which is an unsigned int . The output of the program is …
Topic-wise GATE CS PYQs with verified steps
Independent practice explanation verified by the GateAI team. GATE is conducted by the IITs; question text follows the official paper.