c-compiler

c-compiler is a simple Node.js-based command-line tool designed to compile C programs using the gcc compiler. It allows you to compile .c files from your local system or fetch and compile C code directly from a web URL. This makes it versatile for developers who want to test code stored online or compile local projects quickly.

Installation

To use c-compiler, you need to have Node.js and gcc installed on your system. Follow these steps:

1. Install Node.js: Download and install Node.js from nodejs.org if you don’t already have it.
2. Install GCC: Ensure gcc is installed on your system.
   • On Linux: sudo apt install gcc (Ubuntu/Debian) or sudo yum install gcc (CentOS/RHEL).
   • On macOS: Install via Xcode command-line tools (xcode-select --install) or Homebrew (brew install gcc).
   • On Windows: Install MinGW or a similar GCC-compatible compiler and ensure gcc is in your PATH.
3. Install c-compiler: Run the following command to install the tool globally:

   npm install -g c-compiler
   

Usage

Use the compile-c command to compile C code from either a local file or a web URL.

Compile from a Local File

compile-c -f <filename>

• Replace <filename> with the name of your C file (e.g., hello.c).
• The tool will compile the file into an executable with the same name, minus the .c extension (e.g., hello).

Example

1. Create a file named hello.c:

   #include <stdio.h>
   int main() {
       printf("Hello, World!\n");
       return 0;
   }

2. Run the command:

   compile-c -f hello.c
   

3. If successful, you’ll see:

   Compiling hello.c...
   Compilation successful!
   Executable created: hello
   

4. Run the executable:
   • On Linux/macOS: ./hello
   • On Windows: hello.exe Output: Hello, World!

Compile from a Web URL

compile-c -u <url>

• Replace <url> with a URL pointing to raw C code (e.g., a GitHub raw file link).
• The tool will fetch the code, compile it, and create an executable named output.

Example

1. Use a URL like https://raw.githubusercontent.com/user/repo/main/hello.c containing:

   #include <stdio.h>
   int main() {
       printf("Hello from the web!\n");
       return 0;
   }

2. Run the command:

   compile-c -u https://raw.githubusercontent.com/user/repo/main/hello.c
   

3. If successful, you’ll see:

   Compiling code from URL...
   Compilation successful!
   Executable created: output
   

4. Run the executable:
   • On Linux/macOS: ./output
   • On Windows: output.exe Output: Hello from the web!

Error Handling

• If no file or URL is specified:

  Error: Please specify a C file (-f) or a URL (-u)
  

• If both file and URL are specified:

  Error: Please specify either a file (-f) or a URL (-u), not both
  

• If the local file doesn’t exist:

  Error: File "nonexistent.c" does not exist
  

• If the URL fails to load:

  Error: Failed to fetch C code from URL "<url>"
  <error message>
  

• If compilation fails:

  Compilation failed:
  <gcc error output>
  

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