helloWorld

Hello, World! program refers to a minimal program that outputs the text "Hello, World!" to the standard output. It is commonly used to teach the basic syntax and execution model of a programming language and to verify that a development environment is properly configured.

Origin and adoption: The phrase and practice were popularized by Brian Kernighan in The C Programming Language (1978) as a first example for C; the example has since been adapted to many languages and platforms. It has become a canonical starting point in tutorials, textbooks, and online courses.

Implementation and purpose: A typical hello world program demonstrates how to write, compile, and run code, how to print text, and how the language's string literals and I/O mechanisms work. It also often serves as a smoke test for compilers, interpreters, editors, and development workflows.

Variations: Different languages use slightly different syntax or functions to achieve the same effect; some environments require surrounding boilerplate (e.g., class and main method in Java), others provide a compact single line. The phrase has become a cultural touchstone in programming and is used in demonstrations, tests, and humor.