This section gives an overview of C programs and program execution. Terms and features important to understanding C programs and components are also introduced. Topics discussed include:

• Source files and source programs

• The main function and program execution

• Parsing command-line arguments

• Lifetime, scope, visibility, and linkage

• Name spaces

Because this section is an overview, the topics discussed contain introductory material only. See the cross-referenced information for more detailed explanations.

C Language Reference