Chapter 4 of the C programming course at Northeastern University covers the topics of "Friends and Overloaded Operators".
Section 4.1 discusses friend functions in C programming. A friend function of a class has the ability to directly access the private members of that class. These friend functions are declared with the keyword "friend" in the class, and are not actual member functions of the class. They can be either a common function or a member function of another class. This allows for greater flexibility and access to class members, while still maintaining the principles of encapsulation and data hiding.
Section 4.2 delves into the concept of operator overloading in C programming. This feature allows for existing operators to be redefined and used with user-defined data types. This includes overloading the arithmetic, relational, and logical operators, among others. This capability allows for more intuitive and natural implementations of mathematical and logical operations with custom data types.
Overall, Chapter 4 of the C programming course at Northeastern University provides a comprehensive coverage of friend functions and operator overloading, which are essential concepts in the C programming language. These topics enhance the programmer's ability to create robust and efficient code while leveraging the principles of object-oriented programming. Understanding and mastering these concepts are crucial for any aspiring C programmer.