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Computer programming is about learning how to solve problems with a computer – about how to get a computer to do all the tedious work for us. The basic development cycle, or process of writing a computer program, is to determine the steps that are necessary to solve the problem at hand and then tell the computer to perform those steps. Our first problem, as we learn this process, is to learn how to write, build, run, and verify a minimal C program.

The following topics will be covered in this chapter:

Writing your first C program
Understanding the program development cycle
Creating, typing into a text editor, and saving your C program
Compiling your first C program
Running your program, verifying its result, and, if necessary, fixing it
Exploring different commenting styles and using them
Employing guided chaos, followed by careful observation for deeper learning

Let's get started!

Key benefits

Learn essential C concepts such as variables, data structures, functions, loops, arrays, and pointers

Get to grips with the core programming aspects that form the base of many modern programming languages

Explore the expressiveness and versatility of the C language with the help of sample programs

Description

C is a powerful general-purpose programming language that is excellent for beginners to learn. This book will introduce you to computer programming and software development using C. If you're an experienced developer, this book will help you to become familiar with the C programming language. This C programming book takes you through basic programming concepts and shows you how to implement them in C. Throughout the book, you'll create and run programs that make use of one or more C concepts, such as program structure with functions, data types, and conditional statements. You'll also see how to use looping and iteration, arrays, pointers, and strings. As you make progress, you'll cover code documentation, testing and validation methods, basic input/output, and how to write complete programs in C. By the end of the book, you'll have developed basic programming skills in C, that you can apply to other programming languages and will develop a solid foundation for you to advance as a programmer.

Who is this book for?

This book is written for two very diverse audiences. If you're an absolute beginner who only has basic familiarity with operating a computer, this book will help you learn the most fundamental concepts and practices you need to know to become a successful C programmer. If you're an experienced programmer, you'll find the full range of C syntax as well as common C idioms. You can skim through the explanations and focus primarily on the source code provided.

What you will learn

Understand fundamental programming concepts and implement them in C

Write working programs with an emphasis on code indentation and readability

Break existing programs intentionally and learn how to debug code

Adopt good coding practices and develop a clean coding style

Explore general programming concepts that are applicable to more advanced projects

Discover how you can use building blocks to make more complex and interesting programs

Use C Standard Library functions and understand why doing this is desirable

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