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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!