Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming, Third Edition

Using the main() Function's Format

The cornerstone of every C program is the main() function. Because main() is a function and not a command, the trailing parentheses are required. A C function, just like a Visual Basic procedure, is a section of code that does something. main() is required because execution of a C program always begins in its main() function. Programmers use main() to control the rest of the program. main() often includes a series of procedure calls. (All procedures in C are known as function procedures; you'll learn more about C functions in the section “C Functions,” later in this chapter.)

The actual code for main(), as with all C functions you write, begins after the opening brace, {, and main() continues until the closing ...