2. Table of Contents
What is C?
Why we learn C?
Use of C language
Evolution of C language
Features of C language
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3. What is C Language?
C is a high level programming language used to create high level programs. C
language is a general purpose and structured programming language developed
by 'Dennis Ritchie' at AT &T's Bell Laboratories in the 1972s in USA. It is also called
as 'Procedure oriented programming language.' C began to replace the more
familiar languages of that time like PL/1, ALGOL etc. Possibly, C seems so popular
because it is reliable, simple and easy to use
C is not specially designed for specific applications areas like COBOL (Common
Business-Oriented Language) or FORTRAN (Formula Translation). It is well suited
for business and scientific applications. It has some various features like control
structures, looping statements, arrays, macros required for these applications. .
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4. Why we Learn C Language?
Let's say that you were going to be learning Spanish, Italian, or French. Do you
think knowing Latin would be helpful? Just as Latin was the basis of all of those
languages, knowing C will enable you to understand and appreciate an entire
family of programming languages built upon the traditions of C. Knowledge of C
enables freedom.
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5. Use of C Language
C language is the most commonly used programming language. It is used for
writing operating systems. UNIX was the first operating system written in C. Later
Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and GNU/Linux were all written in C. Not only is C
the language of operating systems, it is the precursor and inspiration for almost all
of the most popular high-level languages available today. In fact, Perl, PHP, Python
and Ruby are all written in C.
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6. Evolution of C Language
An international committee developed ALGOL 60 language, ALGOL 60 never
became popular because it was too abstract and too general.
To reduce this abstractness and generality, a new language called Combined
Programming Language (CPL) was developed at Cambridge University. It is so big,
having so many features, this it was hard to learn and difficult to implement.
Basic Combined Programming Language (BCPL), developed by Martin Richards at
Cambridge University to solve the problems of CPL. But unfortunately it turned out
to be too less powerful and too specific.
Around same time a language called “B” was written by Ken Thompson at AT & T
Bell Labs, as a further simplification of CPL. But like BCPL, B is also too specific.
Finally Dennis Ritchie inherited the features of B and BCPL, added some of his own
stuff and developed “C”.
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7. Features of C Language
Robust language, which can be used to write any complex program.
Well-suited for writing both system software and business applications.
Dynamic memory allocation
C is highly portable.
A ‘C’ program is basically a collection of functions that are supported by the ‘C’ library.
Program written in C language are efficient & fast.
‘C’ is a free form language.
Case sensitive.
C has 32 keywords.
‘C’ is a structure or procedural programming language that are use top-down approach.
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