But for beginning programmers, it is recommended that a free compiler kit be used. Before you begin experimenting with the C language, it is imperative that you obtain a compiler. Click here for a comprehensive list of C compilers. Therefore, you need compilers to translate the source code into machine language , something that your computer can understand. The machine language instructions created by compilers are called object files , and are designated on your hard disk with .OBJ extensions, or .O on UNIX machines.
Different compilers require different commands to operate.
On UNIX, use cc file.c . If any errors are present in your .C source code, the compiler will report them, and you will need to make the required modifications to your program. While computers can understand the machine language instructions in .OBJ files, they can't actually run them. Programs called linkers link any required .OBJ files together to make an executable. Once again, if any linking errors occur, the linker will tell you what they are, and you'll need to make corrections in your original .C source file.