C Program to Print Square Star Pattern

Introduction

A square star pattern is a simple arrangement of stars (*) printed in a square shape. This is a common beginner exercise in C programming to help practice using loops to control output.

Problem Statement

Create a C program that:

• Accepts the number of rows (and columns, since it's a square).
• Prints a square pattern using stars (*).

Example:

• Input: rows = 5
• Output:

  *****
  *****
  *****
  *****
  *****
  

Solution Steps

1. Input the Number of Rows: The size determines the number of rows and columns (since it's a square).
2. Use Nested Loops: The outer loop handles the rows, and the inner loop handles the columns by printing stars.
3. Display the Square Pattern: Print a square with the same number of stars in each row and column.

C Program

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int i, j, rows;

    // Step 1: Accept the number of rows (and columns) for the square
    printf("Enter the number of rows (and columns): ");
    scanf("%d", &rows);

    // Step 2: Outer loop for rows
    for (i = 1; i <= rows; i++) {
        // Step 3: Inner loop to print stars in each row
        for (j = 1; j <= rows; j++) {
            printf("*");
        }

        // Move to the next line after each row
        printf("\n");
    }

    return 0;
}

Explanation

Step 1: Input Number of Rows

• The program starts by asking the user for the number of rows (and columns, since it's a square pattern).

Step 2: Outer Loop for Rows

• The outer loop runs from 1 to rows, controlling how many rows to print.

Step 3: Inner Loop for Columns

• The inner loop prints the stars (*) for each row. Since it is a square, the number of stars in each row equals the number of rows.

Output Example

For rows = 5, the output will be:

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****

For rows = 3, the output will be:

***
***
***

Conclusion

This C program prints a simple square pattern using stars (*). The program uses nested loops to print the stars in both rows and columns. This is a useful exercise to practice loop control in C programming.