I need to recibe information from a Serial Port

I need someone to explain me how to recibe information from a Serial Port.
The hardware on the other side is a code bar reader, and it may be conected to the serial port C, for example. Someone may explain me the code, from beginin to end?
How is programed the UART? Where I have look up the received byte? Are there easy functions to use from any library?
Thanks.

PD I’m using a RCM3700 module, and Dynamic C 9.2

Agust�n