6/16/24, 10:55 AM C Language - Overview

C Language - Overview
C is a general−purpose, high−level language that was originally developed by Dennis
M. Ritchie to develop the UNIX operating system at Bell Labs. C was originally first
implemented on the DEC PDP-11 computer in 1972.

In 1978, Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie produced the first publicly available
description of C, now known as the K&R standard.

The UNIX operating system, the C compiler, and essentially all UNIX application
programs have been written in C. C has now become a widely used professional
language for various reasons −

Easy to learn
Structured language
It produces efficient programs
It can handle low−level activities
It can be compiled on a variety of computer platforms

Facts about C

C was invented to write an operating system called UNIX.

C is a successor of B language which was introduced around the early 1970s.
The language was formalized in 1988 by the American National Standard
Institute (ANSI).
The UNIX OS was totally written in C.
Today C is the most widely used and popular System Programming Language.
Most of the state-of-the-art software have been implemented using C.
Today's most popular Linux OS and RDBMS MySQL have been written in C.

Why Use C Language?

C was initially used for system development work, particularly the programs that
make-up the operating system. C was adopted as a system development language

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because it produces code that runs nearly as fast as the code written in assembly
language.

Some examples of the use of C might be −

Operating Systems
Language Compilers
Assemblers
Text Editors
Print Spoolers
Network Drivers
Modern Programs
Databases
Language Interpreters

Utilities

C covers all the basic concepts of programming. It's a base or mother programming
language to learn object−oriented programming like C++, Java, .Net, etc. Many
modern programming languages such as C++, Java, and Python have borrowed
syntax and concepts from C.

It provides fine-grained control over hardware, making it highly efficient. As a result,

C is commonly used to develop system−level programs, like designing Operating
Systems, OS kernels, etc., and also used to develop applications like Text Editors,
Compilers, Network Drivers, etc.

C programs are portable; hence they can run on different platforms without
significant modifications.

C has played a pivotal role as a fundamental programming language over the course
of programming history. However, its popularity for application development has
somewhat diminished in comparison to more contemporary languages. This may be
attributed to its low−level characteristics and the existence of higher−level
languages that offer a greater abundance of pre−existing abstractions and
capabilities. Nevertheless, the use of the programming language C remains
indispensable in domains where factors such as optimal performance, meticulous
management of system resources, and the imperative need for portability hold
utmost significance.

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Advantages of C Language
The following are the advantages of C language −

Efficiency and speed − C is known for being high−performing and efficient.

It can let you work with memory at a low level, as well as allow direct access
to hardware, making it ideal for applications requiring speed and economical
resource use.

Portable − C programs can be compiled and executed on different platforms

with minimal or no modifications. This portability is due to the fact that the
language has been standardized and compilers are available for use on
various operating systems globally.

Close to Hardware − C allows direct manipulation of hardware through the

use of pointers and low−level operations. This makes it suitable for system
programming and developing applications that require fine-grained control
over hardware resources.

Standard Libraries − For common tasks such as input/output operations,

string manipulation, and mathematical computations, C comes with a large
standard library which helps developers write code more efficiently by
leveraging pre−built functions.

Structured Programming − C helps to organize code into modular and

easy−to−understand structures. With functions, loops, and conditionals,
developers can produce clear code that is easy to maintain.
Procedural Language − C follows a procedural paradigm that is often
simpler and more straightforward for some types of programming tasks.
Versatility − C language is a versatile programming language and it can be
used for various types of software such as system applications, compilers,
firmware, application software, etc.

Drawbacks of C Language
The following are the disadvantages/drawbacks of C language −

Manual Memory Management − C languages need manual memory

management, where a developer has to take care of allocating and
deallocating memory explicitly.

No Object−Oriented Feature − Nowadays, most of the programming

languages support the OOPs features. But C language does not support it.

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No Garbage Collection − C language does not support the concept of

Garbage collection. A developer needs to allocate and deallocate memory
manually and this can be error-prone and lead to memory leaks or inefficient
memory usage.
No Exception Handling − C language does not provide any library for
handling exceptions. A developer needs to write code to handle all types of
expectations.

Applications of C Language
The following are the applications of C language −

System Programming − C language is used to develop system software

which are close to hardware such as operating systems, firmware, language
translators, etc.

Embedded Systems − C language is used in embedded system

programming for a wide range of devices such as microcontrollers, industrial
controllers, etc.

Compiler and Interpreters − C language is very common to develop

language compilers and interpreters.

Database Systems − Since C language is efficient and fast for low-level

memory manipulation. It is used for developing DBMS and RDBMS engines.

Networking Software − C language is used to develop networking software

such as protocols, routers, and network utilities.

Game Development − C language is widely used for developing games,

gaming applications, and game engines.

Scientific and Mathematical Applications − C language is efficient in

developing applications where scientific computing is required. Applications
such as simulations, numerical analysis, and other scientific computations are
usually developed in C language.
Text Editor and IDEs − C language is used for developing text editors and
integrated development environments such as Vim and Emacs.

Getting Started with C Programming

To learn C effectively, we need to understand its structure first. Every programming
language has its programming structure. A typical structure of a C program includes
several parts. The following steps show the C structure of a regular C program−

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Include Header Files

Include necessary header files that contain declarations of functions, constants, and
macros that can be used in one or more source code files. Some popular header files
are as −

stdio.h − Provides input and output functions like printf and scanf.

#include <stdio.h>

stdlib.h − Contains functions involving memory allocation, rand function, and other
utility functions.

#include <stdlib.h>

math.h − Includes mathematical functions like sqrt, sin, cos, etc.

#include <math.h>

string.h − Includes functions for manipulating strings, such as strcpy, strlen, etc.

#include <string.h>

ctype.h − Functions for testing and mapping characters, like isalpha, isdigit, etc.

#include <ctype.h>

stdbool.h − Defines the boolean data type and values true and false.

#include <stdbool.h>

time.h − Contains functions for working with date and time.

#include <time.h>

limits.h − Defines various implementation-specific limits on integer types.

#include <limits.h>

Macros and Constants

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Define any macros or constants that will be used throughout the program. Macros
and constants are optional.

Example

#include <stdio.h>
#define PI 3.14159
int main() {
float radius = 5.0;
float area = PI * radius * radius;

printf("Area of the circle: %f\n", area);

return 0;
}

Output

Area of the circle: 78.539749

Global Declarations in C

Global declarations are optional:

int globalVariable;
void sampleFunction();

Declare global variables and functions that will be used across different parts of the
program. Take a look at the following example −

#include <stdio.h>

// Global variable declaration

int globalVariable;

int main()
{
// Rest of the program
return 0;
}

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Main Function

Every C program must have a main function. It is the entry point of the program.
Take a look at the following example −

int main() {
float radius = 5.0;
float area = PI * radius * radius;

printf("Area of the circle: %f\n", area);

return 0;
}

Functions in C

Define other functions as needed. The main function may call these functions. Take a
look at the following example:

#include <stdio.h>

// Global function declaration

void samplefunction();

int main() {
// Programming statements
return 0;
}

// Global function definition

void samplefunction () {
// Function programming statements implementation
}

A C program can vary from 3 lines to millions of lines and it should be written into
one or more text files with extension ".c"; for example, hello.c. You can use "vi",
"vim" or any other text editor to write your C program into a file.

This tutorial assumes that you know how to edit a text file and how to write source
code inside a program file.

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