C Programming Tutorials

Dennis Ritchie Ankitweblogic

Dennis Ritchie
American computer scientist

C is a programming language that allows you to write instructions a computer can understand and execute. Like all programming languages, C gives you a way to create programs that control how a machine behaves. By learning C, you gain the ability to interact more closely with computer hardware and manage how data is processed.

The C programming language was developed for the creation of system-level applications that interact directly with hardware components, such as device drivers and operating system kernels. C is often regarded as the foundational language for many modern programming languages, which is why it is commonly referred to as the "mother language".

There are several reasons why the C programming language remains highly popular. Some key factors include the following:

  1. C is reliable, simple, and easy-to-use language.
  2. Understanding advanced programming languages such as C++, Java, or C# is challenging without first learning the fundamental concepts provided by C.
  3. Significant portions of major operating systems—including Windows, UNIX, and Linux - continue to be written in C due to its efficiency and low-level hardware control.

C Language Uses

  • C is widely used in system programming, particularly for implementing operating systems and embedded system applications, because C code is portable, can be used for most purposes, system-specific code can be used to access specific hardware addresses.
  • C can be used in web development through the Common Gateway Interface (CGI), which serves as an intermediary between a web application and the client's browser. C is often preferred over interpreted languages in such contexts due to its execution speed, stability, and broad platform support.
  • C also enables programmers to develop highly efficient implementations of algorithms and data structures, making it suitable for computationally intensive software. For examples, the GNU Multiple Precision Arithmetic Library, the GNU Scientific Library, Mathematica, and MATLAB, which are entirely or partially written in C.
  • Furthermore, C has been widely used to develop end-user software applications, although many such applications can also be implemented using more modern, higher-level programming languages.

C - Related languages

C has both direct and indirect influence on many subsequent programming languages, including C#, D, Go, Java, JavaScript, Perl, PHP, Python, and the UNIX C shell. Most of these languages adopt or adapt C's foundational syntax for statements and expressions.

When object-oriented languages became popular, two extensions of C — C++ and Objective-C, emerged to provide object-oriented features. Both were initially implemented as source-to-source translators: code written in C++ or Objective-C was first converted into C, which was then compiled using a standard C compiler.

Editor for C

To begin working with the C programming language, an editor or Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is required for writing and executing code. Numerous code editors are available; however, commonly used options include Turbo C++ (Borland) and Visual Studio Code (Microsoft). In this tutorial series, Visual Studio Code is used for program development, and the distinctions between writing code in Visual Studio Code and Turbo C++ will also be discussed.

C Language Feedback, Questions, Suggestions, Discussion.

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