Introduction of C-Programming

Introduction of C-Programming


C is a general-purpose high level language that was originally developed by Dennis Ritchie for the Unix operating system. It was first implemented on the Digital Eqquipment Corporation PDP-11 computer in 1972.
The Unix operating system and virtually all Unix applications are written in the C language. C has now become a widely used professional language for various reasons.
Easy to learn
Structured language
It produces efficient programs.
It can handle low-level activities.
It can be compiled on a variety of computers.


Facts about C


C was invented to write an operating system called UNIX.
C is a successor of B language which was introduced around 1970
The language was formalized in 1988 by the American National Standard Institue (ANSI).
By 1973 UNIX OS almost totally written in C.
Today C is the most widely used System Programming Language.
Most of the state of the art software have been implemented using C


Why to use C ?


C was initially used for system development work, in particular the programs that make-up the operating system. C was adoped as a system development language because it produces code that runs nearly as fast as code written in assembly language. Some examples of the use of C might be:
Operating Systems
Language Compilers
Assemblers
Text Editors
Print Spoolers
Network Drivers
Modern Programs
Data Bases
Language Interpreters
Utilities


C Program File

All the C programs are writen into text files with extension ".c" for example hello.c. You can use "vi" editor to write your C program into a file.
This tutorial assumes that you know how to edit a text file and how to write programming insturctions inside a program file.


C Compilers

When you write any program in C language then to run that program you need to compile that program using a C Compiler which converts your program into a language understandable by a computer. This is called machine language (ie. binary format). So before proceeding, make sure you have C Compiler available at your computer. It comes alongwith all flavors of Unix and Linux.
If you are working over Unix or Linux then you can type gcc -v or cc -v and check the result. You can ask your system administrator or you can take help from anyone to identify an available C Compiler at your computer.
If you don't have C compiler installed at your computer then you can use below given link to download a GNU C Compiler and use it.

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C Programming Tutorial

The C is a general-purpose, procedural, imperative computer programming language developed in 1972 by Dennis M. Ritchie at the Bell Telephone Laboratories to develop the UNIX operating system.

The C is the most widely used computer language, it keeps fluctuating at number one scale of popularity along with Java programming language, which is also equally popular and most widely used among modern software programmers.

Audience

This tutorial is designed for software programmers with a need to understand the C programming language starting from scratch. This tutorial will give you enough understanding on C programming language from where you can take yourself to higher level of expertise.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with this tutorial, you should have a basic understanding of Computer Programming terminologies. A basic understanding of any of the programming languages will help you in understanding the C programming concepts and move fast on the learning track.

Compile/Execute C Programs

For most of the examples given in this tutorial, you will find Try it option, so just make use of it and enjoy your learning.

Try following example using Try it option available at the top right corner of the below sample code box:

#include <stdio.h>

int main()
{
   /* my first program in C */
   printf("Hello, World! \n");
   
   return 0;
}

1 - C Programming Quick Reference Guide

A quick reference guide for C Programming Professionals.

C Programming Quick Reference Guide

2 - C Programming Useful Resources

A collection of C Programming Sites, Books and Articles is given at this page.

C Programming Useful Resources

3 - C Programming Tutorial in PDF

Download a C Programming Tutorial in PDF format.

C Programming Tutorial in PDF

4 - C Standard Library

All the useful methods from C standard library has been put together for easy access.

C Standard Library