Introduction to C

Introduction to C: – C language is a high level language. It is both a general purpose(to develop applications programs) and a specific purpose(to develop System programs ) programming language. C is the most popular and common programming language for every application developer. It was developed at the Bell Telephone Laboratory, USA (Now AT & T), in 1972. It was developed by Dennis Ritchie .

C is derived from two early programming languages such as BCPL (Basic Combined Programming Language) and B language. These two languages also developed at Bell laboratory. Dennis Ritchie developed a new version of B and named it as C. He selected the name C for his new language because C comes after B in alphabetical order which indicates advancement to B.

Characteristics of C:-

  1. C is a General Purpose Programming Language This means C can be used to write a variety of applications. It is often referred to as a “system programming language.”
  2. C is a structured programming language, which means as a programmer, you are required to divide a problem into a several different modules or functions.
  3. C is renowned for its simplicity and is easy to use because of its structured approach. It has a vast collection of keywords, operators, built-in functions and data types which make it efficient and powerful.
  4. C is portable, which means a C program runs in different environments. C compilers are available for all operating systems and hardware platforms. Additionally, you can easily write code on one system and port it to another.
  5. C is modular, which means C programs can be divided into small modules, which are much easier to understand.
  6. C is easily available. The C software is easy to access and can be easily installed on your computer. The installation of C hardly takes a few minutes.
  7. C is easy to debug. The C compiler detects syntax errors quickly and easily and displays the errors along with the line numbers of the code and the error message.

Applications of C:- Because of its portability and efficiency, C is used to develop the system as well as application software. Some of the system and application software listed below are:

  1. Operating Systems(System software)
  2. Interpreters and Compilers(System software)
  3. Editors(System software)
  4. DBMS(Application software)
  5. Spreadsheets(Application software)
  6. Graphics packages(Application software)
  7. Word Processors(Application software)