C Tutorial

In this C Tutorial, you’ll learn all C programming basic to advanced concepts like variables, arrays, pointers, strings, loops, etc. This C Programming Tutorial is designed for both beginners as well as experienced professionals, who’re looking to learn and enhance their knowledge of the C programming language.

What is C?

C is a general-purpose, procedural, high-level programming language used in the development of computer software and applications, system programming, games, and more.

C language was developed by Dennis M. Ritchie at the Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1972. It is a powerful and flexible language which was first developed for the programming of the UNIX operating System. C is one of the most widely used programming languages.

C programming language is known for its simplicity and efficiency. It is the best choice to start with programming as it gives you a foundational understanding of programming.

Print Hello World using C ProgrammingC#include int main() {printf("Hello World! I Don't Give a Bug");return 0;}OutputHello World! I Don't Give a Bug

“Give this C code a try, and here’s a fun challenge: print ‘Hello World’ along with your name!”

Getting Started With C Programming Tutorial

Start your coding adventure with our free C Tutorial. A perfect C programming tutorial for beginners and advanced coders alike, this tutorial is your key to unlocking the magic of C programming. With clear explanations and fun examples.

C TutorialC BasicsC Variables and ConstantsC Data TypesC Input and OutputC OperatorsC Control Statements Decision-MakingC FunctionsC Arrays & StringsC PointersC User-Defined Data TypesC Storage ClassesC Memory ManagementC PreprocessorC File HandlingC Error HandlingC ProgramsMiscellaneousC Interview QuestionsC BasicsC Language IntroductionFeatures of C Programming LanguageC Programming Language StandardSetting Up C Development EnvironmentC Hello World ProgramCompiling a C Program: Behind the ScenesC CommentsTokens in CC IdentifiersKeywords in CC Variables and ConstantsC VariablesConstants in CConst Qualifier in CDifferent Ways to Declare Variable as Constant in CScope Rules in CInternal Linkage and External Linkage in CGlobal Variables in CC Data TypesData Types in CData Type Modifiers in CLiterals in CEscape Sequence in Cbool in CInteger Promotions in CCharacter Arithmetic in CType Conversion in CC Input/Outputid="inp">Basic Input and Output in CFormat Specifiers in Cprintf in Cscanf in CScansets in CFormatted and Unformatted Input and Output FunctionsC OperatorsOperators in CArithmetic Operators in CUnary Operators in CRelational Operators in CBitwise Operators in CLogical Operators in CAssignment Operators in CIncrement and Decrement Operators in CConditional or Ternary Operator (?:) in Csize of Operator in COperator Precedence and Associativity in CC Control Statements Decision-MakingDecision-Making in CC if StatementC if…else StatementC if-else-if LadderSwitch Statement in CUsing Range in switch case in CLoops in CC for Loopwhile looping in Cdo…while Loop in Cfor versus while Loopcontinue Statement in Cbreak Statement in Cgoto Statement in CC FunctionsC FunctionsUser-Defined Function in CParameter Passing Techniques in CImportance of Function Prototype in CReturn Multiple Values From a Functionmain Function in CImplicit Return Type int in CCallbacks in CNested Functions in CVariadic functions in C_Noreturn Function Specifier in CPredefined Identifier __func__ in CMaths Functions in CC Arrays & StringsC ArraysProperties of Array in CMultidimensional Arrays in CInitialization of Multidimensional Arrays in CPass Array to Functions in CPass a 2D Array as a Parameter in CData Types for Which Array is Not PossiblePass an Array by Value in CStrings in CAn Array of Strings in CDifference Between Single Quoted and Double Quoted InitializationString Functions in CC PointersC PointersPointer Arithmetics in CPointer to Pointer (Double Pointer) in CFunction Pointer in CDeclare Function Pointer in CPointer to an Array in CConstant Pointer in CPointer vs Array in CDangling, Void, Null and Wild PointersNear, Far and Huge Pointers in Crestrict Keyword in CC User-Defined Data TypesC Structuresdot (.) Operator in CC typedefStructure Member Alignment, Padding and Data PackingFlexible Array Members in a Structure in CC UnionsBit Fields in CDifference Between Structure and Union in CAnonymous Union and Structure in CEnumeration (or enum) in CC Storage Classes Storage Classes in Cextern Keyword in CStatic Variables in CInitialization of Static Variables in CStatic Functions in CUnderstanding “volatile” Qualifier in CUnderstanding the “register” Keyword in CC Memory ManagementMemory Layout of C ProgramsDynamic Memory Allocation in CDifference Between malloc() and calloc()What is a Memory Leak?Dynamic Array in CDynamically Allocate a 2D Array in CDynamically Growing Array in CC PreprocessorC PreprocessorsC Preprocessor DirectivesHow a Preprocessor Works in C?Header Files in CDifference Between Header Files “stdio.h” and “stdlib.h”Write Your Own Header File in CMacros and their Types in CInteresting Facts About Macros and Preprocessors in C# and ## Operators in CPrint a Variable Name in CMultiline Macros in CVariable Length Arguments for MacrosBranch Prediction Macros in GCCtypedef versus #define in CDifference Between #define and const in CC File HandlingBasics of File Handling in CC fopen() FunctionEOF, getc() and feof() in Cfgets() and gets() in Cfseek() vs rewind() in CReturn Type of getchar(), fgetc() and getc()Read/Write Structure From/to a File in CC Program to Print Contents of FileC Program to Delete a FileC Program to Merge Contents of Two Files into a Third FileDifference Between printf, sprintf and fprintfDifference Between getc(), getchar(), getch() and getche()C Error HandlingError Handling in CUsing goto for Exception Handling in CError Handling During File Operations in CC Program to Handle Divide By Zero and Multiple ExceptionsC ProgramsBasic C ProgramsControl Flow ProgramsPattern Printing ProgramsFunctions ProgramsArrays ProgramsStrings ProgramsConversions ProgramsPointers ProgramsStructures and Unions ProgramsFile I/O ProgramsDate and Time ProgramsMore C ProgramsMiscellaneousDate and Time in CInput-output system calls in CSignals in CProgram Error Signals in CSocket Programming in C_Generics Keyword in CMultithreading in CC Interview QuestionsTop 50 C Programming Interview Questions and AnswersCommonly Asked C Programming Interview Questions | Set 1Commonly Asked C Programming Interview Questions | Set 2Commonly Asked C Programming Interview Questions | Set 3Why Learn C?

C programming language is one of the most popular programming language. It is a must learn for software engineering students. C is called the mother of all modern programming languages so learning C will help you to learn other languages easily like Java, C++, C#, Python, etc. C language is faster than other programming languages like Java and Python. It can handle low-level programming and we can compile the C code in a variety of computer platforms.

List of some key advantages of C language:

Easy to learn.Versatile Language, which can be used in both applications and technologies.Mid-Level Programming Language.Structured Programming Language.C Compiler

C compiler is a software that translates human-readable C language code into machine code or an intermediate code that can be executed by a computer’s central processing unit (CPU).

There are many C compilers available in the market, such as GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler, Clang, Intel C++ Compiler, and TinyCC (TCC).

For this tutorial, we will be using the GNU-based online C compiler provided by GeeksforGeeks which is developed for beginners and is very easy to use compared to other compiler/IDE’s available on the web.

Features of C Language

There are some key features of C language that show the ability and power of C language:

Simplicity and Efficiency: The simple syntax and structured approach make the C language easy to learn.Fast Speed: C is one of the fastest programming language because C is a static programming language, which is faster than dynamic languages like JavaScript and Python. C is also a compiler-based which is the reason for faster code compilation and execution.Portable: C provides the feature that you write code once and run it anywhere on any computer. It shows the machine-independent nature of the C language.Memory Management: C provides lower level memory management using pointers and functions like realloc(), free(), etc.Pointers: C comes with pointers. Through pointers, we can directly access or interact with the memory. We can initialize a pointer as an array, variables, etc.Structured Language: C provides the features of structural programming that allows you to code into different parts using functions which can be stored as libraries for reusability.Applications of C Language

C was used in programs that were used in making operating systems. C was known as a system development language because the code written in C runs as fast as the code written in assembly language.

The use of C is given below:

Operating SystemsLanguage CompilersAssemblersText EditorsPrint SpoolersNetwork DriversModern ProgramsDatabasesLanguage InterpretersUtilitiesFAQs on C LanguageQ1. How to learn C easily?

Answer: 

The first steps towards learning C or any language are to write a hello world program. It gives the understanding of how to write and execute a code. After this, learn the following:

VariablesOperatorsConditionalsLoops and ErrorsArrays and Strings Pointers and MemoryFunctionsStructuresRecursions Q2. Difference between C and C++?

Answer:

C

CPP

C is a procedural programming language.

C++ is both a procedural and object-oriented programming language.

It does not support Function overloading.

It supports function overloading.

Operator overloading is not supported.

Operator overloading is supported.

C does not support data hiding which leads to security concerns.

Data hiding is supported in C++ by Data Encapsulation.

 Q3. Is C easy to learn for beginners?

Answer: 

While C is one of the easy languages, it is still a good first language choice to start with because almost all programming languages are implemented in it. It means that once you learn C language, it’ll be easy to learn more languages like C++, Java, and C#.

Q4. Why should we learn C first rather than C++?

Answer: 

C is a ‘mother of all languages.’ It provides a solid understanding of fundamental programming concepts and is considered easier to grasp. C offers versatile applications, from software development to game programming, making it an excellent choice for building a strong programming foundation.

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