Getting Started with Borland C++ Builder?

[John Willett]

I need some basic help with settings/options in C++BuilderX. I want to
develop executables (actually written in Kernighan & Ritchie C, not even in
C++ as yet) that run at the Windows (2000 and, hopefully, XP) command line.
In other words, I run "%SystemRoot%\system32\cmd.exe", enter "name.EXE"
(followed by any required parameters) at the Command Prompt, and then see any
'printf' prompts, provide required input, and see any 'printf' output in that
same console window. Unfortunately I seem to be
suffering from some very basic ignorance/misunderstangings about C++ Builder.

So far I've succeeded in building a simple example and getting it to run
correctly within the Builder IDE ('Debug Build', 'C++ Executable
Application', etc. -- although I have to insert the run-time parameters in a
'Run/Configurations.../Edit/Command line arguments' box, and my 'printf'
prompt doesn't appear in the 'Message Pane' until after I provide input to
the immediately following 'gets'). But when I re-build ('Release Build',
otherwise the same) and try to run the resulting executable at the
Windows Command Prompt, it completes without waiting for any input nor
producing any visible prompts nor output whatsoever.

Although Borland now provides version 1.0 of C++BuilderX Personal Edition as
a free download, the included help files aren't very helpful (at least not to
a beginner), nor can I find any other useful documentation on their Web site.
I have a 3rd-party book on order, but it isn't clear that it will start off
at a sufficiently elementary level to answer my questions.

Thanks in advance for any guidance and/or references. -- John
Willett