C is a mid-level structured-oriented programming language used in general-purpose programming, developed by Dennis Ritchie at AT&T Bell Labs, the USA, between 1969 and 1973.
Some Facts About C Programming Language
- In 1988, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) formalized the C language.
- C was invented to write UNIX operating system.
- C is a successor of the 'Basic Combined Programming Language' (BCPL) called B language.
- Linux OS, PHP, and MySQL are written in C.
- C has been written in assembly language.
Uses of C Programming Language
In the beginning, C was used for developing system applications, e.g. :
- Database Systems
- Language Interpreters
- Compilers and Assemblers
- Operating Systems
- Network Drivers
- Word Processors
C Has Become Very Popular for Various Reasons
- One of the early programming languages.
- Still, the best programming language to learn quickly.
- C language is reliable, simple, and easy to use.
- C language is a structured language.
- Modern programming concepts are based on C.
- It can be compiled on a variety of computer platforms.
- Universities preferred to add C programming to their courseware.
Features of C Programming Language
- C is a robust language with a rich set of built-in functions and operators.
- Programs written in C are efficient and fast.
- C is highly portable; programs once written in C, can be run on other machines with minor or no modification.
- C is a collection of C library functions; we can also create our function and add it to the C library.
- C is easily extensible.
Advantages of C
- C is the building block for many other programming languages.
- Programs written in C are highly portable.
- Several standard functions are there (like in-built) that can be used to develop C programs.
- C programs are collections of C library functions, and it's also easy to add functions to the C library.
- The modular structure makes code debugging, maintenance, and testing easier.
Disadvantages of C
- C does not provide Object Oriented Programming (OOP) concepts.
- There are no concepts of Namespace in C.
- C does not provide binding or wrapping up of data in a single unit.
- C does not provide Constructor and Destructor.