Creating and executing C program basic steps || C programming

Program written in high level language must be translated into machine language for execution. So after writing C program it must go through various stages to become executable file.

 

Creating and executing C program requires at least four steps, now we will discuss these steps.

 

This steps for creating and running programs are writing/editing, compiling, linking and execution . This can be viewed diagrammatically.

 

1. Creating the program

2. Compiling the program

3. Linking the program with function

4. Executing program.

  

Creating the program :

First of all, we need to create a C program for execution. We use an editor to create or edit source program (also know as source code).C Program file has extension. C ( for example : myprogram.c,hello.etc)

 

Compiler :

After creating or editing source code we need to compile it by using compiler . If compiler dose not detect any errors in the program, then it produces object files. Object file has extension . OBJ ( for examples : myprogram.obj, hello.obj, etc ). If compiler detects error in the program, then we need to return to step 1 to make correction in source code.

 

Detail Compilation process in c

 

Link : 

Object files are not executable file so in order to make executable file we use linker . If no errors occur, linker produces executable file having extension. EXE ( for example : myprogram.exe, hello.exe ect )

Execute :

After obtaining executing file we can run this just like other applications. We need to test to determine whether it works properly or not . If application dose not work properly we need to return to step 1.

Important points of Creating and Running C program

 

• C program file (source file) must save with .c extension.

 

• The compiler converts complete program at a time from high level language to low level language.

 

• Input to the compiler is .c file and output form the compiler is .exe file but it also generate .obj file in this process.

 

• The compiler converts the file only if there are no errors in this source code.

 

• CPU places the result in User screen window.