C Get Started

1. Setting Up Your C Environment

To write and run C programs, you need a compiler. Some popular options:

Option 1: Install on Your PC

• Windows: Install Code::Blocks or Dev-C++ (includes compiler).
  Or install GCC via MinGW.

• Linux: GCC is usually pre-installed. Otherwise, install via:

  sudo apt install gcc


• Mac: Install Xcode Command Line Tools:

  xcode-select --install


Option 2: Online Compilers

If you don’t want to install anything, you can use online C compilers:

• replit.com

• programiz.com/c-programming/online-compiler

• ideone.com

2. Writing Your First C Program

Open your editor or online compiler and type this:

Explanation:

• #include <stdio.h> → Imports the standard library for input/output.

• int main() → Entry point of every C program.

• printf() → Function to display text.

• return 0; → Ends the program successfully.

3. Compiling and Running C Programs

Using a Compiler

1. Save your file as hello.c.

2. Open terminal/command prompt.

3. Compile:

   gcc hello.c -o hello


4. Run:

   ./hello # On Linux/Mac
hello.exe # On Windows


Using Online Compiler

• Paste your code.

• Click Run.

• Output will show:

4. Basic C Syntax and Rules

1. Case Sensitive – main and Main are different.

2. Every statement ends with ;

3. Curly braces {} – Define the start and end of a block.

4. Comments:

   // Single-line comment
/* Multi-line
comment */


5. Variables and Data Types

Variables store values in memory. Examples:

• %d → integer

• %f → float

• %c → char

6. Getting User Input

• scanf() → Reads input from user.

• & → Address operator (stores input in the variable).

7. Next Steps After Getting Started

Once you’ve run your first programs, you can move on to:

1. Operators → +, -, *, /, %, etc.

2. Conditional Statements → if, else, switch

3. Loops → for, while, do-while

4. Functions → Breaking code into reusable parts

5. Arrays & Strings → Storing multiple values

6. Pointers → Direct memory access

7. Structures & File Handling → For advanced applications