Install and configure the selected programming language (compiler/interpreter, text editor, IDE, debugger)

Code::Blocks is a free IDE that includes a built-in compiler (MinGW). Follow these steps:

Step 1: Download Code::Blocks

Visit the official website at https://www.codeblocks.org/downloads/ and download the version that includes MinGW (the compiler bundle).

Step 2: Install the Software

Run the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen instructions. Accept the default settings.

Step 3: Verify the Compiler Setup

1. Open Code::Blocks
2. Go to Settings → Compiler
3. Ensure "GNU GCC Compiler" is selected
4. Click Auto-detect to check if MinGW is installed correctly
5. Click OK to save

Step 4: Create and Run a Simple Program

1. Open Code::Blocks and go to File → New → Project
2. Choose Console Application → C → Click Next
3. Enter a project name (e.g., "MyFirstProgram") and choose a folder to save it
4. In the editor, locate the file main.c and replace its contents with:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    printf("Habari, Africa!\n");
    return 0;
}

5. Click Build and Run (or press F9)

The output should display:

Habari, Africa!

You can also compile and run C programs using the command prompt.

Step 1: Install MinGW Compiler

1. Download MinGW-w64 from https://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw-w64/
2. Run the installer and follow the setup instructions

Step 2: Set Environment Variables

1. Open Start menu and search for "Environment Variables"
2. Click Edit the system environment variables
3. In the Advanced tab, click Environment Variables
4. Under System Variables, find Path and click Edit
5. Click New and add the path to MinGW's bin folder (e.g., C:\mingw-w64\mingw64\bin)
6. Click OK to save

Step 3: Verify Installation

1. Open Command Prompt (cmd)
2. Type: gcc --version
3. If installed correctly, the GCC version will be displayed

Step 4: Compile and Run a Program

1. Create a file named habari.c using a text editor:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    printf("Habari, Tanzania!\n");
    return 0;
}

2. Open Command Prompt and navigate to the folder where you saved the file
3. Compile the program:

gcc habari.c -o habari.exe

4. Run the program:

habari.exe

Expected output:

Habari, Tanzania!

If your school uses Python instead, follow these steps:

Step 1: Download Python

Visit https://www.python.org/ and download the latest version

Step 2: Install Python

1. Run the installer
2. Important: Check "Add Python to PATH" before clicking Install
3. Complete the installation

Step 3: Verify Installation

Open Command Prompt and type:

python --version

Step 4: Write and Run a Python Program

1. Open IDLE (installed with Python) or any text editor
2. Type:

print("Jambo, Tanzania!")

3. Save the file as jambo.py
4. Run it using Command Prompt:

python jambo.py

After installation, confirm your environment is working by:

1. Writing a simple program that prints text
2. Compiling without errors
3. Running the program and seeing the expected output

If you can complete these three steps successfully, your programming environment is properly installed and configured.

In Tanzania, setting up programming tools is essential for students learning software development. For example, a Form 2 student at a secondary school in Dar es Salaam who learns to install Code::Blocks and write C programs can later apply these skills to create a simple attendance management system for their school, using C to record student names and calculate attendance percentages — a practical solution that many local schools still manage manually with paper registers.