> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.standardcomputers.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Write and Run Your First Standard Language Program

> Write and run your first Standard code file, starting with Hello World and building up to user input and loops to see the language in action.

The best way to get comfortable with Standard is to write and run real code right away. This guide walks you through your first Standard program — the classic "Hello World" — and then builds on it with user input and a loop so you can see more of the language in action.

## Hello World

Start with the simplest possible Standard program:

```text theme={null}
print "Hello World!"
```

Save this as a `.std` file. Then, inside Standard, run it with:

```text theme={null}
run "/path/to/file.std"
```

You should see `Hello World!` printed to the console. Congratulations — you've written and executed your first Standard program.

## Taking Input and Looping

Now let's make things interactive. The program below asks the user to pick a number, then increments and prints that number five times using a `for` loop:

```text theme={null}
#Create variable 'number' and set to 0
number 0
#Set input to variable
in number "Pick a number:"
#Loop five times
for: 5 {
    #Increment and print out
    print number++
}
```

<Steps>
  <Step title="Declare the variable">
    `number 0` creates a variable called `number` and initializes it to `0`, establishing it as an integer type.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Collect user input">
    `in number "Pick a number:"` displays a prompt and stores whatever the user enters into `number`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Loop and increment">
    `for: 5 { ... }` runs the block exactly five times. Inside, `number++` increments the value before `print` outputs it to the console.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Comments in Standard start with `#`. Use them liberally to document what each section of your code does — especially when you're learning the language.
</Tip>

## What's Next

Now that you've run your first program, explore the rest of the Standard language:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Variables & Types" icon="database" href="/code/variables-types">
    Learn how to declare variables and work with Standard's built-in types.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Operators" icon="calculator" href="/code/operators">
    Perform arithmetic and string operations in your programs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Conditions" icon="code-branch" href="/code/conditions">
    Control program flow with if, else, and boolean logic.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Loops" icon="rotate" href="/code/loops">
    Repeat code efficiently with for and while loops.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>