C language documentation

Learn to use C and the C runtime library.

Get started with C in Visual Studio

Download

• Download Visual Studio for Windows
• Install C/C++ support in Visual Studio
• Download only the command-line build tools

Tutorial

• Compile a C program on the command line

Use the compiler and tools

Reference

• C/C++ build reference
• Projects and build systems
• Compiler reference
• Linker reference
• Additional build tools
• Errors and warnings

C language

Reference

• C language reference
• Elements of C
• Program structure
• Declarations and types
• Expressions and assignments
• Statements
• Functions
• C language syntax summary
• Implementation-defined behavior
• C/C++ preprocessor reference

C runtime library (CRT)

Reference

• CRT library features
• Alphabetical function reference
• C runtime routines by category
• Global variables and standard types
• Global constants
• Global state
• Generic-text mappings