C programming is an ANSI/ISO standard and powerful programming language for developing real time applications. C programming language was invented by Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Laboratories in 1972. It was invented for implementing UNIX operating system. C programming is most widely used programming language even today. All other programming languages were derived directly or indirectly from C programming concepts. C programming is the basis for all programming languages. This C programming tutorial explains all basic concepts in C like history of C language, data types, keywords, constants, variables, operators, expressions, control statements, array, pointer, string, library functions, structures and unions etc.
This C programming tutorial is designed for the new learners, students and also for the corporate level developers who want to learn and refresh their C programming skills.
C – Language History
- The C programming language is a structure oriented programming language, developed at Bell Laboratories in 1972 by Dennis Ritchie
- C programming language features were derived from an earlier language called “B” (Basic Combined Programming Language – BCPL)
- C language was invented for implementing UNIX operating system
- In 1978, Dennis Ritchie and Brian Kernighan published the first edition “The C Programming Language” and commonly known as K&R C
- In 1983, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) established a committee to provide a modern, comprehensive definition of C. The resulting definition, the ANSI standard, or “ANSI C”, was completed late 1988.
C programming language standards:
- C89/C90 standard – First standardized specification for C language was developed by the American National Standards Institute in 1989. C89 and C90 standards refer to the same programming language.
- C99 standard – Next revision was published in 1999 that introduced new features like advanced data types and other changes.
C11 and Embedded C language:
- C11 standard adds new features to C programming language and library like type generic macros, anonymous structures, improved Unicode support, atomic operations, multi-threading and bounds-checked functions. It also makes some portions of the existing C99 library optional and improves compatibility with C++.
- Embedded C includes features not available in C like fixed-point arithmetic, named address spaces, and basic I/O hardware addressing.
- Operating systems, C compiler and all UNIX application programs are written in C language
- It is also called as procedure oriented programming language. The C language is reliable, simple and easy to use. C has been coded in assembly language.
Features of C programming language:
- Reliability
- Portability
- Flexibility
- Interactivity
- Modularity
- Efficiency and Effectiveness
Uses of C programming language:
The C programming language is used for developing system applications that forms a major portion of operating systems such as Windows, UNIX and Linux. Below are some examples of C being used.
- Database systems
- Graphics packages
- Word processors
- Spreadsheets
- Operating system development
- Compilers and Assemblers
- Network drivers
- Interpreters
Which level is C language belonging to?
| S.no | High Level | Middle Level | Low Level |
| 1 | High level languages provide almost everything that the programmer might need to do as already built into the language | Middle level languages don’t provide all the built-in functions found in high level languages, but provides all building blocks that we need to produce the result we want | Low level languages provides nothing other than access to the machines basic instruction set |
| 2 | Examples: Java, Python | C, C++ | Assembler |
The C language is a structured language
| S.no | Structure oriented | Object oriented | Non structure |
| 1 | In this type of language, large programs are divided into small programs called functions | In this type of language, programs are divided into objects | There is no specific structure for programming this language |
| 2 | Prime focus is on functions and procedures that operate on the data | Prime focus is in the data that is being operated and not on the functions or procedures | N/A |
| 3 | Data moves freely around the systems from one function to another | Data is hidden and cannot be accessed by external functions | N/A |
| 4 | Program structure follows “Top Down Approach” | Program structure follows “Bottom UP Approach” | N/A |
| 5 | Examples: C, Pascal, ALGOL and Modula-2 | C++, JAVA and C# (C sharp) | BASIC, COBOL, FORTRAN |
Key points to remember in C language:
- The C language is structured, middle level programming language developed by Dennis Ritchie
- Operating system programs such as Windows, Unix, Linux are written in C language
- C89/C90 and C99 are two standardized editions of C language
- C has been written in assembly language
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