ronutz

hello, world

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programmingops culture

The tiny program that just prints a greeting, traditionally the first thing you write in a new language.

Brian Kernighan used 'hello, world' in a 1972 B tutorial and then in the 1978 C book, and the ritual spread to nearly every language since. It is the universal smoke test - if it prints, your toolchain works and you can start.

Also known as: hello world, Hello, World!

Sources

  • Kernighan, 'A Tutorial Introduction to the Language B' (1972); Kernighan & Ritchie (1978)

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