Chapter 1: Introduction to C Programming

1.1 What is C Programming?

C is a general-purpose, procedural programming language that was developed by Dennis Ritchie in 1972 at Bell Labs. It is widely used for system programming, operating systems, embedded systems, and application development. C is known for its efficiency and control over hardware.

1.2 Features of C Programming

• Simplicity: C has a small set of keywords, making it simple to learn.
• Efficiency: Provides low-level access to memory and is highly efficient in terms of speed and size.
• Portability: C programs can be run on any machine with minimal modifications.
• Modularity: C supports functions, which helps in dividing complex problems into smaller, manageable pieces.

1.3 Structure of a C Program

A simple C program follows this structure:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    printf("Hello, World!\n");
    return 0;
}

• #include <stdio.h>: Preprocessor directive to include the standard I/O library.
• int main(): The main function where the program execution begins.
• printf(): A function to print output to the screen.
• return 0;: Indicates that the program executed successfully.

1.4 Compilation Process

1. Preprocessing: Handles directives like #include, #define, etc.
2. Compilation: Converts source code to assembly code.
3. Assembly: Converts assembly code to machine code.
4. Linking: Combines object files and libraries to create an executable.

Summary of Chapters

• Chapter 1 introduced C programming and the structure of a basic program.
• Chapter 2 covered data types, variables, constants, and type casting.
• Chapter 3 explored operators like arithmetic, relational, logical, and bitwise operators.
• Chapter 4 explained control flow with if, switch, loops (for, while, do-while), and control statements (break, continue).

These four chapters lay the foundation for understanding and writing basic C programs. Let me know if you'd like more detailed explanations or examples for any of these topics!