C Program Examples

For those who are serious about developing their programming skills, learning the basics of C can be immensely valuable. Although very few programs in modern times actually use C, the fundamentals of C programming can still apply to various other languages such as C++ or C#.

What are the Basic Fundamentals of C?

Before you can be introduced to any C program examples, it is first essential to understand the basics of C.

Variables – The most basic element of C is variables. Variables are mutable or immutable pieces of data that are often manipulated as a program continues to run. The most basic variable is an int, which represents an integer number. Additionally, another fundamental element of programming is the “char” type of variable. The “char” represents a letter between A-Z. Unlike more advanced languages, such as C#, the C language does not use the variable type “Strings”. Instead, C utilizes an array of “char” types.

C Program Examples of Variables:
int x = 6;
char c = “c”;

If Statements – Another basic aspect of most C program examples are the “If statements”. In an If statement, the program will check to determine if the given conditions are met, and if they are, it will execute a designated segment of code. Conversely, if the condition is not met, it will move on to the next condition. If no conditions are met, and the code reaches an “else” statement, it will execute the code in all circumstances. The If statement is a basic aspect of nearly all coding languages, including C, C#, C++, PhP, and even SQL.

C Program Examples of If Statements:

string output = “”;

If{x < 0}

Output = “negative”;

Else if{x > 0}

Output = “positive”;
Else
Output = “zero”;
Loops – The final aspect of C program examples that you will encounter frequently are loops. Loops can be either “while” loops or “for” loops, and although the syntax is different, the end result between the two is exactly identical. Loops are useful when a variable needs to be manipulated repeatedly until a given condition is met.

C Program Examples of Loops:

for(int x = 0; x < 9; x++)

y+=x;

OR

int x = 0;

while(x < 9)
{
y+=x;
x++;
}

NOTE: Both of the above codes are exactly the same and produce the same results using a for loop and a while loop.

What are some C Program Examples for basic programs?

In order to further develop your understanding of C, it can often be helpful to look at a few basic C program examples to understand how they work.

Here is the most basic type of program you will see in every introductory computer programming class. The program outputs the text “Hello world!”:

Here is a basic program that can be used to sort various variables:

Here is an example of a program that can convert between pounds and ounces: