Dennis Ritchie created C in 1972, and it is a general-purpose computer language. These programmes are essentially a series of high-level instructions delivered to the computer by a programmer. The programme execution process is divided into two stages: first, a compiler is used to translate/convert the high-level programme into machine code, and then the instruction set is executed.
C programming gained prominence in the 1980s as a programming language for mainframes, microcomputers, and minicomputers, and has since become one of the most extensively used programming languages.
Dennis MacAlistair Ritchie:
He was an American computer scientist who lived from September 9, 1941 until October 12, 2011. He co-created the C programming language as well as the Unix operating system and B programming language with long-time collaborator Ken Thompson. The ACM gave Ritchie and Thompson the Turing Award in 1983, the IEEE the Hamming Medal in 1990, and President Bill Clinton the National Medal of Technology in 1999. When Ritchie resigned in 2007, he was the head of Lucent Technologies’ System Software Research Department.
Most important features of C:
- It is a language that is simple to understand and allows a coder to rebuild or construct a new app.
- C is a compiler-based software, unlike Java and Python, which are interpreter-based. This speeds up the compilation and execution of programmes.
- C programmes are machine-independent, which means you can run a fraction of a C programme on other processors with no or little machine-specific modifications.
- C programmes can be simply (and rapidly) extended. This implies that if a programme is previously created, you may modify it to add new functionality.
- C includes a large number of libraries with built-in functions. User-defined functions can also be created and added to C libraries.
- The feature of Memory Management in a Dynamic Environment allows the user to use and manage the size of the data structure in C during runtime.
- C programming language allows you to separate a code into various portions using functions, which may then be saved as libraries for future use and reuse.
Overview/History of C:
C was used to create the UNIX operating system.
C is the successor of the interpreted B language, which was first developed in AT&T Bell Laboratories in early 1972 and was later standardized by the American National Standards Institute.
The UNIX operating system was actually written in C.
The most extensively used and popular System Programming Language nowadays is C.
What is an Algorithm?
As with any programming or real-world thing, we require an algorithm, which is a set of basic written English words that represent stages to complete a task. Take, for instance, a snapshot of it.
What is Flowchart? Explain the flowchart and its various components?
A flowchart is a structured graphic depiction of an algorithm, workflow, or process, depicting the stages as various types of boxes and linking them with arrows to demonstrate their sequence. This diagrammatic depiction depicts a problem-solving model.
What is a Variable?
A variable is nothing more than a name for a storage region that our programmes may access. Each variable in C has a type that governs the memory size and layout, the range of values that may be stored inside that memory, and the set of operations that can be applied to the variable.
What is Datatype ? Types of datatype?
In C, data types refer to a comprehensive system for defining variables and functions of various sorts. The form of a variable impacts how much storage space it takes up and how the contained bit pattern is interpreted. The types in C may be divided into the following categories:
Char – Typically a single octet. It is an integer type.
Int: The most natural size of integer for the machine.
Float: A single-precision floating-point value.
What is a token in C? What Types of Tokens?
A keyword, an identifier, a constant, a string literal, or a symbol are all tokens in a C programme. The tokens in the C statement are five.
A semicolon is used to end a statement. A semicolon must be included at the conclusion of each statement. It marks the ending of a logical object.
The compiler disregards comments. They begin with the characters /* and end with the characters */.
A variable, function, or any other user-defined entity is referred to as an identifier.
In identifiers, punctuation characters including @, $, and percent are not allowed.
The computer language C is case-sensitive.
The reserved words may not be used as constants, variables, or identifier names in any way.
File extension:
A plain text C/C++ Source Code file has the “.C” file extension. It can both store the source code for a full programme written in the C or C++ programming languages and be accessed by other files inside a C project.
It’s worth noting that some applications use a lowercase c file extension for C source code and an uppercase C for C++, although this isn’t needed. CPP is also used to create C++ source code files.
If the C file isn’t written in C or C++, it may be a Lite-C Script file written in lite-C, a programming language that’s comparable to C/C++.
Opening a .c extension files:
If it’s a C/C++ Source Code file, any text editor such as Notepad++, Emacs, the Windows Notepad application, EditPlus, TextMate, and others may read and display it.
A software development product such as Visual Studio, Eclipse, C++Builder, Dev-C++, or Code::Blocks is typically used to open C files.
Conclusion:
C programming is still quite popular across the world, and the main reason for this is the language’s distinctive capabilities. We have discussed some of the most important elements of the C programming language in this post. Several international firms and enterprises are still trying to employ C programming specialists as a result of these advantages.