C and C++ are arguably the most powerful programming languages that can be used to develop native apps with C++ build tools. Most C++ compilers support C language, that means you can code by using a C++ IDE and a compiler.
C and C++ have many pre-defined functions, and libraries which make writing modern, robust C++ a breeze. Using a fast and reliable compiler and specialized C++ IDE is very important for beginners and professionals since it helps C++ developers in remembering which language features exist, how to use them, and even detect errors when we get it wrong. If you are on the hunt for the best C/C++ compilers available today, we highly recommend using a professional C++ compiler with an advanced IDE from the start. A C++ IDE is really important because of powerful tailored features like error highlights, auto code completion, and help system which help with the process of writing the code plus the opportunity to run, test, debug, deploy, merge or transform code to run on other platforms (multiplatform coding) are also important. All these capabilities require a powerful compiler and IDE which is a specialized tool to help developers create and test their code.
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How to start C programming with a simple Hello World program
If you are new to software development, here is a quick introduction to C programming. You should download and install a free C and C++ compiler and IDE. Then run your IDE. Now you can write your C code. First, you should include libraries that you use. Generally for beginners stdio.h library is enough to do simple beginner apps. We can include this library as below.
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#include <stdio.h> |
Second, you should add the main procedure (the main program, the main function) as below,
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int main() { } |
After that you should write your programming code lines into this procedure, between { and } brackets. If you are a beginner “Hello World” examples are a good way to understand the basic features of a programming language. It is good to understand how to edit text, how to write in its format, how to compile and link, how to debug and execute, how to deploy or release. Below is a full “Hello World” C example on Windows which runs with C++ Builder.
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#include <stdio.h> int main() { printf("Hello LearnCPlusPlus"); getchar(); return 0; } |
In this example above we print a text with printf() function and then we wait to get a character input (key press), then we exit and return 0 which indicates to the operating system that our main app successfully ran and ended normally.
How to learn C programming from C libraries?
A quality C++ and C programming IDE and Compiler helps you access various libraries which contain several hundred functions, macros, and classes that you call from within your program’s code to perform a wide variety of tasks, including low- and high-level I/O, string and file manipulation, memory allocation, process control, data conversion, mathematical calculations, and more.
You can use many C libraries in your C and C++ apps. You can start to learn functions of stdio.h library More Information about C Run Time Libraries (RTL) can be found here. You can find more Introduction level C and C++ examples in LearnCPlusPlus.org here: https://learncplusplus.org/category/introduction-to-c/
If you don’t know how to use and IDE and Compile a C or C++ app, this is a good example to start;
How to learn C programming with Dev-C++?
Dev-C++ is a good choice as an open-source text editor and C++ IDE for Windows. Dev- C++ is a fast, portable, simple, and free C and C++ IDE for Windows. You can download the latest Embarcadero Dev-C++ free. If you are a beginner Dev-C++. is a great tool to develop C and C++ apps for Windows 11, 10 and 8.1.
The free version is great for beginners. If you want to develop professionally it is highly recommended that you start with the C++ Builder CE version instead. Dev-C++ can be downloaded from Embarcadero’s site, Sourceforge, or Github. The original developer is Bloodshed Software.
Embarcadero is great a brand providing different development tools for Windows, iOS and Android. Embarcadero Dev-C++ is a new and improved fork (sponsored by Embarcadero) of The Bloodshed Dev-C++ and Orwell Dev-C++. It is a full-featured Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and code editor for the C/C++ programming language. It uses Mingw port of GCC (GNU Compiler Collection) as its compiler. Embarcadero Dev-C++ can also be used in combination with Cygwin or any other GCC based compiler. Embarcadero Dev-C++ is built using the latest version of Embarcadero Delphi. Embarcadero Dev-C++ has a low memory footprint because it is a native Windows application and does not use Electron.
You can download the free and open-source Dev-C++ here
How to learn C programming with C++ Builder?
In addition to Dev-C++, If you are looking for a more full featured professional IDE and C++ compiler, then, in my opinion, the Best Professional C++ IDE and Code Editor to Implement C++ Programs for Windows, iOS and Android is the latest version of RAD Studio or C++ Builder.
This year, C++ Builder is celebrating its 25th anniversary. You can read more about the product history, in this great blog post by C++Builder PM David Millington on “Celebrating 25 Years of C++Builder!” There is another very interesting blog post by David I on “The C++Builder 25th Anniversary: Visual Development, the Power of the C++ Language and 2.5 decades of Continuing Excellence“.
You can download the free C++ Builder Community Edition here: https://www.embarcadero.com/products/cbuilder/starter.
Professional developers can use the Professional, Architect or Enterprise versions of C++ Builder. Please visit https://www.embarcadero.com/products/cbuilder.
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