cd my_project
touch connect_database.c

#include <cassandra.h>
#include <stdio.h>

int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
     /* Setup and connect to cluster /
     CassCluster cluster = cass_cluster_new();
     CassSession* session = cass_session_new();

     /* Setup driver to connect to the cloud using the secure connection bundle /
     const char secure_connect_bundle = "/path/to/secure-connect-DATABASE_NAME.zip";
     if (cass_cluster_set_cloud_secure_connection_bundle(cluster, secure_connect_bundle) != CASS_OK) {
       fprintf(stderr, "Unable to configure cloud using the secure connection bundle: %s\n",
               secure_connect_bundle);
       return 1;
     }

     /* Set credentials provided when creating your database /
     cass_cluster_set_credentials(cluster, "clientID", "clientSecret");

     CassFuture connect_future = cass_session_connect(session, cluster);

     if (cass_future_error_code(connect_future) == CASS_OK) {
       /* Use the session to run queries /
     } else {
       / Handle error */
     }

     cass_future_free(connect_future);
     cass_cluster_free(cluster);
     cass_session_free(session);

     return 0;
   }

/* Build statement and execute query */
const char_ query = "SELECT release_version FROM system.local";
CassStatement* statement = cass_statement_new(query, 0);

CassFuture* result_future = cass_session_execute(session, statement);

if (cass_future_error_code(result_future) == CASS_OK) {
  /* Retrieve result set and get the first row _/
  const CassResult_ result = cass_future_get_result(result_future);
  const CassRow* row = cass_result_first_row(result);

  if (row) {
    const CassValue* value = cass_row_get_column_by_name(row, "release_version");

    const char* release_version;
    size_t release_version_length;
    cass_value_get_string(value, &release_version, &release_version_length);
    printf("release_version: '%._s'\n", (int)release_version_length, release_version);
  }

    cass_result_free(result);
  } else {
    /_ Handle error _/
    const char_ message;
    size_t message_length;
    cass_future_error_message(result_future, &message, &message_length);
    fprintf(stderr, "Unable to run query: '%.*s'\n", (int)message_length, message);
  }

  cass_statement_free(statement);
  cass_future_free(result_future);