Learning C 2.0

SUPRATIK SARKAR
Nov 3 · 2 min read

Some important points on C:

B was developed in 1960s in Cambridge University. C was invented in 1972 in Bell Labs USA.

C is symbolic instruction code, a set of instructions that perform actions on a computer. The C language is often referred to as the middle level language. C permits very close interaction with the inner working of computer.

What is C?

C is a programming language used to write a program. Programs are a set of instructions given to a computer by a programmer in a high level language. C uses a compiler to translate the high level program into machine code before executing any instruction. Compiler itself is a computer program. Other translators are Assembler and Interpreter.

The original high level program is called C program and the resulting machine language is called the object program.

It was named C cause the original features were derived from the earlier language known as B.

What is a compiler?

Compiler is a computer program that reads a program written in one language, known as the source language, and translates it into translates it into another language which is known as the target language.

The source language is a high level language and target language is often a low level language. So compilers are mainly translators. Compilers also perform some optimization to the code.

A compiler is made of several main components.

The first component is known as the Scanner or also known as the Lexical Analyzer. Scanner reads the program and converts it into a string of token.

The second component is the parser. It converts the string of tokens into a parse tree or abstract syntax tree which creates a syntactic structure of the program. The code optimizes and final code generation follow this.

What is an Assembler?

Assembler is a software that translates Assembly language into machine code.

Interpreter

Interpreters are very similar to compilers. They also convert high level language into equivalent machine readable binaries. Each time an interpreter receives a high level code to be executed, it converts the code into an intermediate code before converting it into machine code. The code is executed sequentially and if error is found in any line the interpretation of the code is stopped.

Why should you learn C in 2019?

  1. C is a general purpose programming language.
  2. C is a structured programming language.
  3. C is system independent.
  4. C is highly efficient.
  5. C is used for system programming.

What is Algorithms?

Algorithms is a set of instructions that defines how one can reach the solution of a problem.

What is Pseudocode?

Sometimes, it is desirable to translate an algorithm to an intermediate form,between that of a flowchart and the source code. Pseudocode is an English approximation of source code that follows the rules, style, and format of a language but ignores most punctuation’s.

From the desk of Supratik Sarkar

Here I will write my thoughts as an aware citizen.

SUPRATIK SARKAR

Written by

I am an electronics engineer and self taught developer. Connect with me: supratik2sarkar@gmail.com. Spammers and sellers will be blocked.

From the desk of Supratik Sarkar

Here I will write my thoughts as an aware citizen.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade