Author: Md.
Ashraful Islam, Lecturer, CSE, BUET
C Programming Tutorial for Beginners
Class 1: Introduction and Installation of Required Software
What is a Programming Language?
Programming language is a way to communicate instructions to a computer. Just like
humans use languages like English or Bengali, programmers use languages like C, Python,
or Java to tell computers what to do.
What is C?
C is one of the oldest and most powerful programming languages. It was developed in the
early 1970s by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs. It’s a procedural language that provides low-
level access to memory and is used in systems programming (like operating systems,
embedded systems).
How Do Machines Recognize Code?
Computers can only understand machine code – a sequence of 0s and 1s (binary). Human-
readable code (like C) needs to be translated into machine code so that the computer can
execute it.
How C Code is Translated to Machine Code (Compiler)
A compiler is a special program that translates your C code into machine code. Here's how
it works:
1. You write a C program (.c file).
2. The compiler translates it into an executable (.exe) or binary file.
3. The machine runs the binary file.
The most common C compilers are:
• GCC (GNU Compiler Collection)
Author: Md. Ashraful Islam, Lecturer, CSE, BUET
• Clang
• Turbo C (old)
• MSVC (Microsoft)
How to Install a C Compiler and Set the Environment Path
Installing GCC Compiler on Windows
1. Install TDM-GCC or MinGW (GCC version for Windows).
2. During installation, note the install path (e.g., C:\TDM-GCC-64\bin).
3. Add this path to the Environment Variable:
o Open Control Panel > System > Advanced system settings > Environment
Variables.
o Edit the Path variable under System variables.
o Add the path where gcc.exe is located.
4. Open Command Prompt and run gcc --version to confirm it's installed.
Write a Sample C Code in Notepad
#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
printf("Hello, World!\n");
return 0;
Save and Run It from Command Prompt
Step-by-step:
1. Save the file as hello.c using Notepad.
Author: Md. Ashraful Islam, Lecturer, CSE, BUET
2. Open Command Prompt.
3. Navigate to the folder where hello.c is saved using cd command:
4. cd C:\Users\YourName\Desktop
5. Compile the program:
6. gcc hello.c -o hello.exe
7. Run the program:
8. hello
You should see:
Hello, World!
Limitations of Using Notepad
• No syntax highlighting.
• No auto-completion or code suggestions.
• No error checking or debug support.
• Not beginner friendly.
Introduction to Code Editors
Code Editors make programming easier by providing:
• Syntax highlighting
• Autocomplete
• Error detection
• Integration with compiler/debugger
Examples:
• Code::Blocks (Free)
• VS Code (Free)
• CLion (Paid)
Author: Md. Ashraful Islam, Lecturer, CSE, BUET
How to Install Code::Blocks
1. Go to https://www.codeblocks.org/downloads/
2. Download the version with mingw-setup (includes compiler). (Direct Download Link)
3. Install it with default settings.
4. Open Code::Blocks → Create a new file.
Working with Code::Blocks
1. Create a new file.
2. Write the following code and save it (Ctrl+S) as test.c.
#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
printf("Hello, World!\n");
return 0;
3. Click Build and Run (F9).
4. Your program will compile and show output in the terminal window.
How to Install Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
1. Go to https://code.visualstudio.com/
2. Download and install for your OS.
3. Install the C/C++ extension from Microsoft (in Extensions panel).
4. Install Code Runner extension (optional).
Working with VS Code
Author: Md. Ashraful Islam, Lecturer, CSE, BUET
1. Create a folder and open it in VS Code.
2. Save your code as main.c.
3. Make sure GCC is installed and added to the PATH.
4. Open Terminal > New Terminal.
5. Compile and run:
6. gcc main.c -o main
7. ./main
Or use Code Runner to compile and run automatically.
