Creating Our First C Program

Welcome to the world of C programming! In this section, we'll guide you through creating your very first C program. Let's start with the classic "Hello, World!" example.

Understanding the Basics

The Structure of a C Program

Every C program follows a basic structure. Here's a simple template:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    // Your code goes here
    return 0;
}

• #include <stdio.h>:

  • This line includes the standard input/output library, allowing you to use functions like printf().

• int main() { ... }:

  • The main() function is the starting point of every C program.

• return 0;:

  • The return statement ends the main() function. The 0 indicates successful execution.

Writing Your First Program

Now, let's write a simple "Hello, World!" program:

#include <stdio.h>

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

• printf("Hello, World!\n");:

  • The printf() function is used to print output to the console. Here, it prints the "Hello, World!" message, and represents a newline character.

Getting Started

1. Open a Text Editor:

   • Use a text editor of your choice (e.g., Notepad, Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text) to write your C code.

2. Create a New File:

   • Create a new file with a .c extension (e.g., hello.c) to save your C code.

3. Write Your Code:

   • Copy and paste the "Hello, World!" code into your file.

4. Save the File:

   • Save your file.

Compiling and Running Your Code

Once your code is ready, you'll typically compile and run it to see the output. However, let's focus on creating the code in this section.

Congratulations! You've successfully created your first C program. In the next sections, we'll explore more concepts to expand your C programming knowledge.