
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:
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.
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.
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