Install C and a Compiler

Install C and a Compiler

Course Module

Set up a C/C++ development environment with the necessary compilers and tools.

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Recommended Prerequisites

Consider completing these modules before starting this one:

Completed
Learn Basic Command Line Usage

Command line skills are essential for compiling and running C programs using gcc/g++ commands.

Completed
Download and Install VS Code

VS Code with C/C++ extensions provides excellent debugging and IntelliSense features for C development.

In Progress
Install Java

Experience with Java's strongly-typed system can help you understand C's memory management concepts.

Coming Soon
Install Python

Python can be useful for testing algorithms before implementing them in C for performance.

Overview

C and C++ are powerful programming languages used in system programming, game development, and performance-critical applications. This guide will help you set up the necessary compilers and tools for C/C++ development.

Installation Options

Choose the installation method that works best for your operating system:

Windows Installation

  • Visit https://winlibs.com/
  • Download GCC + MinGW-w64
  • Run the installer, following the on-screen instructions
  • Add the MinGW bin directory to your PATH environment variable

Mac Installation

Using Homebrew:

# Install Homebrew if not already installed
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

# Install GCC
brew install gcc

Verifying Installation

After installation, verify that the compilers are correctly installed by checking their versions:

gcc --version
g++ --version

Compiling and Running Programs

Here's how to compile and run C and C++ programs:

Compiling C Programs

gcc -o program_name source_file.c

Compiling C++ Programs

g++ -o program_name source_file.cpp

Running Compiled Programs

# Windows
program_name

# Mac/Linux
./program_name

Your First C Program

Create a file named hello.c with the following content:

Compile and run the program with:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    printf("Hello, World!\n");
    return 0;
}
gcc -o hello hello.c
./hello

Recommended IDE/Editor Setup

For the best development experience, consider using one of these tools:

  • Visual Studio Code with the C/C++ extension
  • CLion
  • Visual Studio (Windows)
  • Code::Blocks

Additional Resources

  • C Programming Language by Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie
  • Learn C The Hard Way by Zed Shaw
  • cppreference.com: Comprehensive C/C++ reference
  • Compiler Explorer: https://godbolt.org/ (Online tool to explore compiler output)
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