USER_GUIDE.md

User Guide

Prerequisites

• A C compiler such as gcc
• Git (to clone the repository or use it as a template)

First Steps

1. Create a new repository from this template by clicking Use this template on the GitHub repository page, or clone it directly:

   git clone https://github.com/Stephenson-Software/c-project-template.git
   

2. Open the project in your editor or IDE.

Common Scenarios

Compiling and Running

Compile the project with gcc:

gcc projectTemplate.c -o projectTemplate.exe

Run the compiled program:

./projectTemplate.exe

You should see the following output:

Hello World!

Using the Compile-and-Run Script

A convenience script (cr.sh) is provided that compiles and runs the project in one step:

./cr.sh

Using the Dev Container

If you use VS Code, you can develop inside a pre-configured container:

1. Install Docker Desktop and VS Code.
2. Install the Dev Containers extension.
3. Open the repository in VS Code and reopen in the container when prompted.

Customising the Template

• Rename projectTemplate.c to match your project name.
• Update the cr.sh script to reflect the new file name.
• Modify the code in the main() function to begin building your application.