


Without calling the library at the start of this code, the printf() command won’t run. Following this, the printf() command is part of the library. The int command in front of the function main() shows that it will return an integer when finished. The primary function present in all C programs is main(). In C (as well as other languages), a function is a group of statements that perform a task. The next part of the code is the Function. Still confused? If you have experience coding in Java, think of it like a public class. To include a library within the code, you’ll enter #include You’ll need to import a library into the program in order to use the functions within it.įor this example, the necessary library is. The first is the Library, which is a collection of header files. There are three basic elements to a program in C.

Once you have the basic tools you need to code in C, you can embark on writing your first program. These tools also make it easy to download and set up the necessary compilers on your system so that you can test your code once it’s written. After all, your focus should be on the code - not learning the nuances of a specific editing tool. These are intuitive IDEs that are easy to download and set up. This is a fancy term for a text editor that allows you to write and edit C code.Ī few of the best IDEs for C include Visual Studio Code and Netbeans. The first thing you’ll need is an IDE, or an integrated development environment. This guide will help you find the resources you need and teach you the core concepts so that you can self-educate. There are so many elements that influence how a language works that it’s impossible for a single article to cover even the most basic aspects. The Basics of C Programmingīefore we continue further with this C tutorial for beginners, know this: A programming language is easy to learn, but difficult to master. Perhaps the biggest strength of C is that it can be compiled on a variety of platforms. It’s capable of producing efficient, streamlined programs and can handle lower-level activities better than other languages.

Amateur coders are often surprised to find that C is easy to learn due to its structure. These are some of the most popular modern languages, but C has just as much utility. Many newcomers to the programming world learn Java or Python first. In the modern world, C is used for system programming more than software programming. Why C, you might ask? It succeeded a previous programming language called B. In fact, C is one of the most widely used programming languages in existence, if not the most widely used.
