To run C programs in your computer there is needs to set C Environment Setup. To set C Environment we needs two kinds of software i.e. Text Editor and Compiler, In this tutorial we will understand what is the use of text editor and what is the use of compiler to run a C program.
Text Editor
Text Editor is used to type your C program. There are many text editor software available on which C programs can be typed. See below list of text editors according to operating systems.
Text Editors for Windows:
Below, We are going to list some best text editors for writing C programs in windows operating systems.
- VS Code
- Netbeans
- Code::Blocks
- Eclipse CTD
- CodeLite
- Brackets Code Editors
- Sublime Text etc.
Text Editors for Linux or UNIX operating system
There are too many text editors are available for Linux or UNIX like Vim, Vi, you can use any for typing C programs.
Note : Chose any one text editor among from listed above and download and install them, latter it will be used for typing C programs. While saving the Typed C program in text editor always use .c extension.
C Compiler
Compiler is used to convert plain text into machine readable format, since code written in text editors are in human readable format, to convert this human readable code into machine readable format we use compiler. Compiler converts the code into machine code so that CPU can understand the code and perform task according to the instructions written in code. There are many C compilers are available but mostly preferable is GNU C++ compiler. Let’s know how to download and install GNU gcc compiler.
List of C/C++ compilers for windows operating system:
- GCC Compiler
- Cygwin
- clang
- CCS C Compiler
- AMPC etc.
Download and Install GCC compiler:
To install GCC compiler you needs to install MinGW. To install MinGW visit on its website home page www.mingw.org , and from home page download MinGW. Before the end of MinGw installation there will be an option to choose gcc-core, gcc-g++, binutils and install it. Now you have to set up path of environment variable for GCC. See below video for proper installation.
GCC Installation on Linux/ UNIX
If you are Linux or UNIX user then first check, is GCC installed or not in your system. To check it type below command in command line.
If your computer already has GCC installed then it will give you output like below result.
Using built-in specs.
Target: i386-redhat-linux
Configured with: ../configure --prefix=/usr .......
Thread model: posix
gcc version 4.1.2 20080704 (Red Hat 4.1.2-46)
Now if your output is different from above result (version may vary, it’s ok ) then you needs to install GCC in your computer. To install follow the instructions and step listed on page https://gcc.gnu.org/install/
GCC for Mac OS
If you are Mac user then you need to visit on Apple’s website and download Xcode development environment. If you have Xcode setup then you will be able to use GNU compiler for C/C++ in your Mac OS. For Xcode visit on https://developer.apple.com/xcode/ link