C is the most commonly used programming language for writing operating systems. Unix was the first operating system written in C. Later Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and GNU/Linux were all written in C. Not only is C the language of operating systems, it is the precursor and inspiration for almost all of the most popular high-level languages available today. In fact, Perl, PHP, and Python are all written in C. The C programming language is a "middle-level" language. It provides low-level programming capability at the expense of some user-friendliness. Cynics tend to claim that C combines the flexibility and power of assembly language with the user-friendliness of high-level language, but experience programmers find that the limited set of keywords and the use of pointers allows for fast and elegant programming solutions. C first rose to popularity with the growth of UNIX, and has been used creating the Windows operating sytem from its earliest versions. It is also used in microcontrollers and super-computers. C consists of functions and variables. Functions contain statements which specify the computing operation to be done. The variables store values used during computing. A function usually references a variable to perform a specific task. The first function you will always have in a C source file is main. Main's purpose is to call upon functions to help perform the job, some that you wrote and others from libraries that are provided for you. Another feature you will most likely have in a C source file is the #include <stdio.h> , which tell the compiler to include information about the standard input and output library. It should always appear at the beginning of a C source file. Functions can also communicate data by calling upon arguments. Arguments are usually placed in parentheses in front of a function. Last but not least, it is always good as a programmer to explain how your programs work so that others may understand them if they are unable to by simply reading the code alone. This can be done using the comment symbols /* say anything here */. You can write anything between these symbols and the information won't interfere with the program. I will be using these symbols /**/ a lot in the program examples I show to help describe what is going on. Visual Studio Express an IDE from Microsoft ================================= Microsoft Visual Studio Express is a set of freeware integrated development environments (IDE) developed by Microsoft as a lightweight version of the Microsoft Visual Studio. Express editions were conceived beginning with Visual Studio 2005. The idea of Express editions is to provide streamlined, easy-to-use and easy-to-learn IDEs for hobbyists and students, rather than professional software developers. Visual Studio Express 2013 for Windows Desktop ==================================== Visual Studio Express for Windows Desktop lets you take full advantage of Windows with XAML designers, a productive IDE, and a variety of programming languages including C#, Visual Basic, and C++. Choose between Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Windows Forms, and Win32, to target the Windows desktop with the right technology for your application and your skills.

• published: 20 Nov 2014
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