Chapter 1. Getting Started with C

When creating C applications, your first step is to decide what the application should do. Once you've done that, you write the C source code and compile it into an executable format. Finally, you can run the executable application.

But nothing is ever that easy—all too often you have additional steps to take: debugging and debugging, followed by more debugging. In this chapter, you'll learn how to follow these steps to create your first (very simple) C application. This information will be the basis of the book's remaining material—as well as the basis for your life as a C developer.

This chapter begins with the basic syntax and instructions for creating a quick C source file. Then you'll see how to compile and execute this application. Finally, you'll learn how to make the process easier—and make your work more professional—by mastering comments and judiciously spacing out your code.