Book excerpt: Get started with writing simple programs in C while learning the skills that will help you work with practically any programming language Key FeaturesLearn essential C concepts such as variables, data structures, functions, loops, arrays, and pointersGet to grips with the core programming aspects that form the base of many modern programming languagesExplore the expressiveness and versatility of the C language with the help of sample programsBook Description C is a powerful general-purpose programming language that is excellent for beginners to learn. This book will introduce you to computer programming and software development using C. If you're an experienced developer, this book will help you to become familiar with the C programming language. This C programming book takes you through basic programming concepts and shows you how to implement them in C. Throughout the book, you'll create and run programs that make use of one or more C concepts, such as program structure with functions, data types, and conditional statements. You'll also see how to use looping and iteration, arrays, pointers, and strings. As you make progress, you'll cover code documentation, testing and validation methods, basic input/output, and how to write complete programs in C. By the end of the book, you'll have developed basic programming skills in C, that you can apply to other programming languages and will develop a solid foundation for you to advance as a programmer. What you will learnUnderstand fundamental programming concepts and implement them in CWrite working programs with an emphasis on code indentation and readabilityBreak existing programs intentionally and learn how to debug codeAdopt good coding practices and develop a clean coding styleExplore general programming concepts that are applicable to more advanced projectsDiscover how you can use building blocks to make more complex and interesting programsUse C Standard Library functions and understand why doing this is desirableWho this book is for This book is written for two very diverse audiences. If you're an absolute beginner who only has basic familiarity with operating a computer, this book will help you learn the most fundamental concepts and practices you need to know to become a successful C programmer. If you're an experienced programmer, you'll find the full range of C syntax as well as common C idioms. You can skim through the explanations and focus primarily on the source code provided.