getchar() != ' ' and getchar() = ' '

I am having trouble understanding what getchar() != ' ' and getchar() = ' ' are doing in my code. Why do there need to be opposites. The user may input extra spaces between the first name and last, and before the first name and after the last name.

#include <stdio.h>

int main(void) {

    char c, initial;

    printf("Enter a first and last name: ");
    scanf(" %c", &initial);
    printf("%c\n", initial);
    while ((c = getchar()) != ' ')
        ;

    while ((c = getchar()) == ' ')
        ;

    do {
        putchar(c);
    } while ((c = getchar()) != '\n' && c != ' ');

    printf(", %c.\n", initial);

    return 0;
}

In this code snippet

scanf(" %c", &initial);
// printf("%c\n", initial); <== remove this statement
while ((c = getchar()) != ' ')
    ;

The first letter of the first name is read and other letters are skipped.

This loop

while ((c = getchar()) == ' ')
    ;

skips spaces between the first name and the second name.

This loop

do {
    putchar(c);
} while ((c = getchar()) != '\n' && c != ' ');

outputs all letters of the second name.

And at last the first letter of the first name is outputted after the full second name.

So if you entered for example

Nick     Fisher

then the output should be

Fisher, N.

Take into account that you should remove the statement

printf("%c\n", initial);

it is a redundant statement.