C Programming Lecture Notes

Introduction to C Programming

• C Programming Language
  • Created by Dennis Ritchie
  • First appeared in 1972 (44 years ago)
  • Imperative and procedural (following POP - Procedural Oriented Programming)
  • Supports multiple platforms: Macintosh, Windows, Linux
  • Influenced by language B
  • Called the mother of all languages due to being a complete programming language
  • Derived languages include C++, C#, Objective-C, Java

Syntax and Structure of C

• C is a statically typed language requiring proper syntax
• First program example: Hello World
  • Used to demonstrate basic output in programming
  • Represents the inauguration of learning a new language

Console and Editors

• Console: Output window where results are displayed
• Editors/IDEs: Tools for programming
  • Examples:
    • Xcode (Macintosh)
    • Turbo C++, Dev C++ (Windows)
    • GCC compiler (Linux)

Strings and Printing

• Strings: Combination of characters enclosed in double quotes
• Functions in C:
  • Used to perform tasks
  • printf function for printing to console
  • Functions are defined with () and end with a semicolon

Main Function

• The main function is the starting point of C programs
  • Defined with curly braces
  • The CPU executes code starting from the main function

Header Files

• To use inbuilt functions like printf, include header files
  • stdio.h (Standard Input Output)
  • Header file includes definitions for various functions
  • Use #include directive with angular brackets to include header files

Pre-processor Directives

• Hash (#): Indicates pre-processor directives
  • Code with hash is processed before execution

Running the Code

• To execute code in Turbo C++:
  • Click on Run in the menu
• In Xcode:
  • Use Product > Run or shortcut Command + R

Output

• Example output for first program should display Hello World
• Note: Errors may occur, e.g., "type specifier missing" - to be solved in future sessions

Conclusion

• Encouraged to subscribe for further tutorials on C programming.