How to code Linear Search or Sequential Search Algorithm in C Programming - letsbug

    Searching algorithms are used to find the element in the list. In this blog we will see how to implement linear search in C programming.

1.      Linear Search, also called as orderly search or sequential search, because every key element is searched from first element in an array i.e a[0] to last element in an array i.e a[n-1]
   

C Program for linear Search

#include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
int linearSearch(int [], int, int);
int main()
{
    int a[10], key, c, n, position;
    //Taking input
    printf("Enter number of element for the array: \n");
    scanf("%d", &n);

    printf("Enter %d number for aaray: \n", n);
    for(int i = 0; i < n; i++)
        scanf("%d", &a[i]);
    // Take element for searching
    printf("Enter the element for searching: \n");
    scanf("%d", &key);

    position = linearSearch(a, n, key);
    if(position == -1)
        printf("%d is not present in the Array. \n", key);
    else
        printf("%d is present at location %d. \n", key, position+1);
    
    getch();
    return 0;
}
// main searching function
int linearSearch(int a[], int n, int key)
{
    for(int i = 0; i < n; i++)
    {
        if(a[i] == key)
            return i;
    }
    return -1;
}

Output:

Linear search in c programming