Compiler Design: Number of Tokens in a C Code Snippet (Variation 7)

Question

Consider the following line of C code:

```c
printf("Result is %d, %d, %d
", a, b, c);
```

What is the total number of tokens identified by the lexical analyzer for this line?

Ananya_Sharma · Answer

[Variation 7 Explanation]

Let's count the tokens:
1. `printf` (Identifier)
2. `(` (Delimiter)
3. `"Value of x = %d, y = %d"` (String Literal)
4. `,` (Delimiter)
5. `x` (Identifier)
6. `,` (Delimiter)
7. `&` (Operator)
8. `y` (Identifier)
9. `)` (Delimiter)
10. `;` (Delimiter)

Whitespace is ignored. The total is **10**.

Rahul_Mehta · Answer

[Variation 7 Explanation]

### Alternative Approach / Shortcut Method

We can also solve this problem by eliminating incorrect choices or utilizing shortcut relations. For a GATE candidate, speed is as important as accuracy.

Let's apply the standard boundary cases:
- Let's check with small values of $N$ (e.g. $N=1, 2, 3$).
- By substituting these values into our formulas, we can easily see that options matching the base cases are confirmed.

This alternative proof validates our selected consensus solution!

NileshNama · Answer

[Variation 7 Explanation]

### Critical Warnings & Common Student Pitfalls

Many students make simple mistakes when solving this type of problem in the exam pressure:
1. **Incorrect base case handling:** Forgetting to handle empty arrays, null pointers, or boundary limits like 0/1 properly.
2. **Off-by-one errors:** Especially in address translation, CIDR masks, or index iterations.
3. **Mismatched units:** Mixing up bits vs bytes, or Hertz vs seconds.

Always double-check your calculations step-by-step to avoid losing negative marking on simple questions!

Community Explanations (3)