The most important function of C is main() function. It is mostly defined with a return type of int and without parameters :

int main() { /* … */ }

We can also give command-line arguments in C . Command-line arguments are given after the name of the program in the command-line shell of Operating Systems.

To pass command line arguments, we typically define main() with two arguments: the first argument is the number of command-line arguments and the second is the list of command-line arguments.

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) { /* … */ }

or

int main(int argc, char **argv) { /* … */ }

argc (ARGument Count) is int and stores the number of command-line arguments passed by the user including the name of the program. So if we pass a value to a program, the value of argc would be 2 (one for argument and one for program name)

The value of argc should be non-negative.

argv(ARGument Vector) is an array of character pointers listing all the arguments.

If argc is greater than zero, the array elements from argv[0] to argv[argc-1] will contain pointers to strings.

Argv[0] is the name of the program, After that, till argv[argc-1] every element is command-line arguments.

For better understanding run this code on your linux machine.

// Name of program mainreturn.cpp

#include <stdio.h>

int main(int argc, char** argv)

{

      printf(“You have entered argc arguments:\n”);

      for (int i = 0; i < argc; ++i)

      printf(“%s”, argv[i]);

      return 0;

}

Input:

$ gcc mainreturn.cpp -o main

$ ./main cranes varsity

Output:

You have entered 4 arguments:

./main

cranes

varsity

Properties of Command-Line Arguments:

1. They are passed to the main() function.
2. They are parameters/arguments supplied to the program when it is invoked.
3. They are used to control programs from outside instead of hard coding those values inside the code.
4. argv[argc] is a NULL pointer.
5. argv[0] holds the name of the program.
6. argv[1] points to the first command-line argument and argv[n] points to the last argument.

Note: You pass all the command line arguments separated by a space, but if the argument itself has a space then you can pass such arguments by putting them inside double quotes (“”)or single quotes (”).

// C program to illustrate

// command line arguments

#include<stdio.h>

int main(int argc,char* argv[])

{

      int counter;

      printf(“Program Name Is: %s”,argv[0]);

      if(argc==1)

      printf(“\nNo Extra Command Line Argument Passed Other Than Program Name”);

      if(argc>=2)

      {

      printf(“\nNumber Of Arguments Passed: %d”,argc);

      printf(“\n—-Following Are The Command Line Arguments Passed—-“);

      for(counter=0;counter<argc;counter++)

      {

      printf(“\nargv[%d]: %s”,counter,argv[counter]);

      }

      }

      return 0;

}

Output in different scenarios:

1. Without argument: When the above code is compiled and executed without passing any argument, it produces the following output.

$ ./a.out

Program Name Is: ./a.out

2. No Extra Command Line Argument Passed Other Than Program Name

Three arguments: When the above code is compiled and executed with three arguments, it produces the following output.

$ ./a.out First Second Third

Program Name Is: ./a.out

Number Of Arguments Passed: 4

—-Following Are The Command Line Arguments Passed—-

argv[0]: ./a.out

argv[1]: First

argv[2]: Second

argv[3]: Third

3. Single Argument: When the above code is compiled and executed with a single argument separated by space, but inside double quotes, it produces the following output.

$ ./a.out “First Second Third”

Program Name Is: ./a.out

Number Of Arguments Passed: 2

—-Following Are The Command Line Arguments Passed—-

argv[0]: ./a.out

argv[1]: First Second Third

4.  The single argument in quotes separated by space: When the above code is compiled and executed with a single argument separated by space, but inside single quotes, it produces the following output.

$ ./a.out ‘First Second Third’

Program Name Is: ./a.out

Number Of Arguments Passed: 2

—-Following Are The Command Line Arguments Passed—-

argv[0]: ./a.out

argv[1]: First Second Third