To install and use C programming language, you need a C compiler installed on your computer. There are several C compilers available, but one of the most widely used is GCC (GNU Compiler Collection). Here are the steps to install GCC on Windows, Mac, and Linux:
Windows
- Download the GCC installer from the MinGW website (https://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw/).
- Run the installer and select the components you want to install. Make sure to select “C Compiler” in the “MinGW Installation Manager” window.
- Follow the installation prompts and complete the installation.
Mac
- Install Xcode from the App Store.
- Open Terminal and type “xcode-select –install” to install the Command Line Tools.
- Type “gcc” in Terminal to verify that the compiler is installed.
Linux
- Open the Terminal and type “sudo apt-get update” to update the package list.
- Type “sudo apt-get install build-essential” to install the GCC compiler.
- Type “gcc –version” to verify that the compiler is installed.
After installing the C compiler, you can write C programs using a text editor such as Notepad++, Sublime Text, or Atom, and compile them using the compiler. To compile a C program, open the Terminal or Command Prompt, navigate to the directory containing the program, and type “gcc program.c -o program” (where “program.c” is the name of your C program) to compile the program. You can then run the program by typing “./program” (on Linux and Mac) or “program.exe” (on Windows).