Difference between C and C++

Both C and C++ are middle-level programming languages that are used for developing system software as well as application software. C is a procedural programming language which have low-level memory access and minimal runtime; therefore, it is used for writing operating systems, embedded systems, and system-level programs.

whereas C++ is just an extension of the C language, which is both a procedural programming language and object-oriented. Therefore, having extra features that make it suitable for game development, GUI applications, and high-performance software.

C Programming Language

C is a general-purpose, procedural programming language, which was developed by Dennis M. Ritchie at AT&T Bell Labs in 1972. At first, it was designed to develop the UNIX operating system and implemented on the DEC PDP-11 computer.

In 1978, Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie published the first ever documentation of the C language, which is now known as the K&R standard (named after Kernighan and Ritchie). The UNIX operating system, C compiler, and all UNIX application programs have been written in C. In fact, it is known as the "mother of all programming languages" because many other languages like C++, Java, and Python are based on its core principles. It has now become a widely used professional language for various reasons −

• Easy to learn
• Structured Programming
• Speed and Performance
• Rich Library and Built-in Functions
• Handles low-level activities, meaning it can directly interact with hardware through pointers and memory manipulation

C Example

Here is the following basic C code example −

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    /* Print message to the console */
    printf("Hello, World!\n");
    return 0;
}

Hello, World!

• Here #include <stdio.h> tells the compiler to include the standard library "stdio.h" (Standard Input/Output header). This library contains useful functions like printf().
• int main() is the main function, from where the C program starts, where int means the function will return an integer value.
• printf() prints the written text on the screen and '\n' adds a new line, making the cursor move to the next line after printing.
• return 0; this line ends the program, sending 0 back to the system, where 0 indicates that the program ran successfully.

C++ Programming Language

C++ is a general-purpose, object-oriented programming language developed by Bjarne Stroustrup in 1980 at AT&T Bell Labs in Murray Hill, New Jersey, as an extension of the C language. It was initially named 'C with Classes' but was later renamed C++ in 1983.

C++ is a superset of C, as it's a combination of C with object-oriented features, which includes extra concepts like classes, objects, inheritance, polymorphism, etc. All C code can run in C++, but not all C++ code can run in C. C++ is considered a middle-level language as it includes the features of both high-level and low-level programming languages. In this, the type checking is performed during compile-time rather than run-time, therefore, it's also considered a statically typed language.

Comparison Table

Here is the following comparison table showcasing the differences between C and C++ −

Conclusion

C is ideal for system programming and embedded systems due to its simplicity and efficiency, while C++ extends C with object-oriented features, making it suitable for complex applications and software development. Both languages remain fundamental to modern programming, with C focusing on procedural programming and C++ offering both procedural and object-oriented approaches.