First C Program | Introduction To C

Introduction

Welcome to the world of C programming! C is a powerful general-purpose programming language that is ideal for developing firmware or portable applications. This tutorial will guide you through writing your first C program, from setting up your development environment to compiling and running your code.

Setting Up Your Development Environment

Before you start writing your first C program, you need to set up a development environment. This includes installing a text editor and a C compiler.

Text Editor: You can use any text editor you like, such as Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, or even Notepad++.
C Compiler: A popular and free compiler is GCC (GNU Compiler Collection). You can install it via MinGW on Windows, or it may come pre-installed on Linux and macOS.

Writing Your First Program

Now that your development environment is set up, it's time to write your first C program. Open your text editor and type the following code:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    printf("Hello, World!\n");
    return 0;
}

Let's break down this code:

#include <stdio.h>: This line tells the preprocessor to include the standard input-output library before compiling the program.
int main(): This is the main function where the program execution begins.
printf("Hello, World!\n");: This line prints "Hello, World!" to the screen.
return 0;: This line terminates the main function and returns 0 to the calling process.

Compiling Your Program

Once you have written your program, the next step is to compile it. Open a terminal or command prompt and navigate to the directory where your C file is saved. Use the following command to compile your program:

gcc -o hello hello.c

This command tells GCC to compile hello.c and output an executable named hello.

Running Your Program

After successfully compiling your program, you can run it by typing the following command in your terminal or command prompt:

./hello

You should see the following output:

Hello, World!

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've written, compiled, and run your first C program. This is the first step in your journey to becoming proficient in C programming. As you continue learning, you'll explore more complex concepts and write more advanced programs. Happy coding!