Step 1: Install a Code Editor

Objective: Install a powerful text editor to assist us in writing code in C.

Visual Studio Code is a powerful open-source code editor. It contains extensions that will aid us in writing C and ASM code, which we will use later. We can also create macros that will automatically compile and then execute our files as we save them.

Note

VSC is not required, but it the recommended code editor for this course.

Install Visual Studio Code

  1. Download the installer from the Visual Studio Code home page.

    • View the getting started page to help you install it or browse for extensions.

  2. Complete the installer and then open Visual Studio Code.

Install Essential Extensions

Initially, we’ll install three important C and ASM extensions to help us.

  1. Select the Extensions icon on the left side of the Visual Studio Code window (5th icon from the top).

  2. Search for and install extension C/C++.

  3. Search for and and install extension x86 and x86_64 Assembly.

  4. Search for and install extension Code Runner to execute C and ASM files in VSC directly.