C Language - Overview



C is a well-known programming language. It's a general-purpose, high-level programming language that was developed by Dennis Ritchie at AT & T Bell Laboratory in 1972. C is an augmented version of B programming language. It is a procedural programming language that is most widely used for system programming, developing embedded systems, and operating systems. C is considered as a "mother" language which influenced many other popular programming languages like C++, C#, and Objective-C.

Why C language?

  • C covers all the basic concepts of programming.

  • It's good for learners to learn 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.

  • Still a significant demand for C programmers in various industries.

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.

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.

  • 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 make programs and 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 below steps shows the C structure −

1

Include Header Files //Compulsory

Like

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
2

Macros and Constants //Optional (Used as per need)

Like

#define PI 3.14159
3

Global Declarations //Optional (Used as per need)

Like

int globalVariable;
void sampleFunction();
4

Main Function //Compulsory

int main() 
{
   // Program execution starts here
   // ...
      Body of programming code
   // ...
   return 0;
}
5

Functions //Optional (Used as per need)

void sampleFunction() 
{
   // Function implementation
   // ...
}

A detailed description of the structure sections is as follows −

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.

    Example

#include <stdio.h>
  • stdlib.h − Contains functions involving memory allocation, rand function, and other utility functions.

    Ex -

#include <stdlib.h>
  • math.h − Includes mathematical functions like sqrt, sin, cos, etc.

    Example

#include <math.h>
  • string.h − Includes functions for manipulating strings, such as strcpy, strlen, etc.

    Example

#include <string.h>
  • ctype.h − Functions for testing and mapping characters, like isalpha, isdigit, etc.

    Example

#include <ctype.h>
  • stdbool.h − Defines the boolean data type and values true and false.

    Example

#include <stdbool.h>
  • time.h − Contains functions for working with date and time.

    Example

#include <time.h>
  • limits.h − Defines various implementation-specific limits on integer types.

    Example

#include <limits.h>

Macros and Constants − Define any macros or constants that will be used throughout the program.

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 − Declare global variables and functions that will be used across different parts of the program.

Example

#include <stdio.h>
// Global variable declaration
int globalVariable;
int main() 
{
   // Rest of the program
   return 0;
}

Main Function − Every C program must have a main function. It is the entry point of the program.

Example

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

   printf("Area of the circle: %f\n", area);
   return 0;
}

Functions − Define other functions as needed. The main function may call these functions.

Example

#include <stdio.h>
// Global function declaration
void samplefunction();
int main() {
   // Programming statements
   return 0;
}
// Global function definition
void samplefunction () {
   // Function programming statements implementation
}
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