- C Language has been one of the most extensively used and favored programming languages since its inception.
- C enables you to understand a computer's fundamental design, as well as how it stores and retrieves data.
- Learning C will eventually help in understanding the concepts of other programming languages like Java, Python, etc. faster.
- You can start working on open-source projects as C is used in some of the greatest open-source projects, such as in the making of Linux Kernel Software, Libraries of Python, Databases like SQLite, etc.
The C Programming Language is a procedural-oriented programming language. It was invented by Dennis Ritchie in 1972. It was designed specifically as a System Programming Language for the development of various operating systems. Low-level memory access, a small collection of keywords, and a straightforward style make the C Language ideal for system programming, such as compiler and kernel development.
C programming language has inspired the creation of many other languages like C++ (also known as C with classes), C#, Python, Java, JavaScript, Perl, PHP, and others. Every programming language uses the C programming language to varying degrees. Python, for example, uses C for creating its standard libraries, whereas C++, PHP, and Perl need C for their syntaxes and control structures and that is why it is also commonly referred to as the "mother of all programming languages".
C Language is known as a system programming language because it is compatible with low-level programming. It is commonly used to create operating systems, hardware devices, drivers, kernels, and system software such as the Linux Kernel Software is written in C.
C is referred to as a procedural programming language because it employs a set of instructions to teach the computer what to do step by step. It relies on the procedures or the routines.
C acts as a Structured Programming Language because we can divide our program into pieces using functions to simplify the program's comprehension and modification. It is a subset of the Procedural Programming Language.
C Language is classified as a Middle-Level Programming language because it is close to both machines (low-level) and humans (high-level). The C language program is translated into assembly code, which enables low-level pointer arithmetic and it is machine independent that is a property of high-level languages.
Programs in C can be of many types, these are as listed below:
- Simple Input/Output
- Functional Programs
- Pointers based
- Array-based
- Structures based
- Files Handling etc.
- C is the only programming language that has been around for so long and is still frequently used.
UNIX OSis completely written in C and it was the first operating system kernel that was written in a non-assembly language.- C is the replacement for the B programming language, which was first presented in the early 1970s.
C18is the most recent version of the C language, which was released in June of 2018.
C is used to create embedded software and firmware for a variety of micro-controller-based electronics, industrial, and communications equipment. C was originally used for software development, namely for the programs that make up an operating system. C can have a variety of applications, for example, in :
- Operating Systems
- Compilers
- Interpreters
- Assemblers
- Text Editors
- Drivers
- Databases, etc.
No Prerequisites are required for this tutorial if you have basic computer knowledge. These articles are structured purely for beginners and will go to an advanced level gradually.
- What is C
- Founders
- Variables
- Libraries
- Headers
- Definition
- Scope
- Malloc
- Pointers and dereferencing
- Declaration
- Data types
- Operators
- Conditions
- Loops
- Linked lists
- Strings
- Structures
- Functions
- Memory Management, etc.