Summary: this tutorial helps you get started with C language, its history, key features, and applications.
What is C language
By definition, C is a general-purpose and procedural programming language.
- General-purpose – C language is designed for developing software that applies in a wide range of application domains.
- Procedural – C program is a set of functions. Each function performs a specific task. In the C program, functions are called in sequence to make the program works as designed.
Who invented the C language
Dennis MacAlistair Ritchie developed C language in the 1970s at AT&T Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey for developing the UNIX operating system.
Dennis MacAlistair Ritchie was known as the father of the C language. Together with his colleague, Ken Thompson, they developed the UNIX operating system. Ritchie was a computer scientist who helped shape the digital era.
Applications of C
During the 1980s, C language was a popular language for developing software designed specifically for personal computers with UNIX systems.
Since then, it rapidly spread to the mainframe. By using the C language, programmers could develop very compact and efficient; C programs were also easy to modify and adapt to new computer models. This is why C was a preferred language for developing word processing programs, databases, spreadsheets, and other software products.
Today, you can easily find software programs written in C in many embedded systems. C is used to program software for many microprocessors found in cameras, automobiles, phones, and other smart devices.
C language key features
The main key features of C language are listed as follows:
- Capable of operating very closed to the machine. In C, you can manipulate data at a very low level, such as direct memory address.
- Efficiency. C programs are smaller and run faster than programs written in languages such as C++, Java, or C#.
- Portable source code. If you have a compiler for C in a specific platform, the C program will operate properly on that platform. You can find compilers for almost all platforms. In addition, the design of the C language makes it easy to port existing programs to a new platform.
Recently many new languages have been invented such as C++, Java, C#, etc. However, the C language is still a good choice among developers for system programming, especially for embedded software.
The efficiency of C also allows programmers to develop robust and powerful software including database management systems and graphics software.
C related languages
C++ was the first language that added object-oriented enhancements to the C language. Later, C++ became a standard. C++ is also a prevalent language that many C programmers choose to work with after C.
Apple® developed Objective-C that also adds object-oriented features on top of C for developing applications on OS X for macOS and iOS for iPhone, iPad and other Apple’s products. Some Objective-C’s syntaxes are identical to C.
Is learning C difficult?
The answer is NO. The C programming language is not difficult to learn. And once you master the C language, you can write so many system software.
We hope that you can get the most out of our C tutorials to master C by yourself with ease and fun. Happy programming!
Summary
- C is a general-purpose and procedure programming language invented in 1970.
- C is suitable for system programming such as operating systems, database sysems, graphic software. game engines.
