C Projects: A Quick Guide

C is a computer programming language that is widely used for creating a range of computer programs (if you’re not familiar with basics of computer programming, you might want to check out this great programming course designed specifically for non-programmers). C has been around for several decades now and it is quite popular among programmers as it allows for maximum control and efficiency when programming.

C is what is known as a compiled programming language, meaning that once you write a C program you need to run it through a C compiler in order to turn it into something that the computer can execute. Basically, the C program is the human-read portion while what comes out of the compiler is the machine-readable, executable form.

There are a number of different advantages to the C programming language. First of all, you can read and write code for a large number of programs, as C is compatible with many different platforms. Fast and efficient, C code is also relatively easy to understand and incredibly versatile; pretty much any kind of software or operating system can be developed using C. Furthermore, if you are looking to develop your skills as a programmer, C can provide the necessary base to learn other related programming languages. In fact, C was one of the first widely used programming languages. Many languages have borrowed either directly or indirectly from C, including C#, JavaScript, Perl, and Python among many others.

C is especially important if you want to learn C++ and C#. For example, mastering the object-oriented C++ programing language is much easier once you have a solid grasp on C++ (for more information on C++, check out this C++ fundamentals class). In fact, it is pretty much impossible to learn C++ or C# without a basic understanding of C. So, all in all if you are an aspiring programmer and you don’t yet know C, you should start studying.

Projects are an essential part of the C programming language. Projects contain and manage programs that are to be combined together to create a single executable program or library. You will typically need to create a new project for each programming tasks. Let’s take a quick look at the fundamentals of C projects.

What are C projects?

C programming is used to create C projects. As previously mentioned, these projects contain and manage programs that are combined together to create a single executable program.

How can I build a C project?

Well, if you want to build a C project, you’re first going to need to master the C programming language. Before jumping right in C it can be helpful to master the basics of programming in general. Then, you will want to start learning C. Luckily, it isn’t too difficult. For some guidance you might want to check out this great course on C programming.  Once you’ve got the basics of coding down, you will want to start working on a simple C project. It is a good idea to start with simple C projects that only require very basic coding. Once you feel more confident you can work your way up to more complex projects. Luckily because C has been around for so many years there is a ton of source code readily available, so there is a significant amount of material to use and learn from.

Keep in mind that in order to write or run your C project, you will need access to a compiler (something that turn the human written source code into machine code). Though, this compiler can’t fix any bugs in your code— if there is some kind of error the compiler won’t be able to run it. Getting your project to run is actually a two-step process. First the compiler needs to approve your code and then you need to perform a process known as linking, in which various portions or programs of the final project are all brought together. Different programs perform different functions, including controlling the compiler, sorting data, and describing the solution.

How are C projects used?

UNIX was one of the first applications of C. Today, C projects have a vast variety of different applications. First and foremost, C programming is often used for system programming, including implementing operating systems and embedded systems applications. This is because C code is portable and efficient. C is also commonly used for video games and financial applications, among a vast variety of other things.

In particular C projects are commonly used iOS programming, in iPhone and iPad apps. In the case of iOS a very strict subset of C is used for programming, known as Objective-C. This allows for object-oriented programming with C. So if you want to make apps for iOS, you will need to have a thorough working knowledge of C. If you’re interested, you might want to consider taking this cool course on C programming for iPhone app development.