C PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE
“Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer…….
Because it teaches you how to think.”
- Steve Jobs
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. Main features of C programming language are,
· Reliability
· Portability
· Flexibility
· Interactivity
· Modularity
· Efficiency and Effectiveness
Uses of C programming Language
C programming language is used for developing system application that forms a major portion of operating system application that forms a major portion of operating system such as Windows Unix and Linux.
Example of C being used to -
Ø Data base system
Ø Graphics package
Ø Word processors
Ø Spreadsheet
Ø Operating System development
Ø Compilers and assemblers
Ø Network drivers
Ø Interpreters
Which level is C language belonging to?
There are three levels of programming language,
ü Middle level languages
ü High level languages
ü Low level languages
1. Middle level language
Middle level language 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 e want.
Ex-
C, C++
2. High level language
High level languages provide almost everything that the programmer might need to do as already built into the language.
Ex-
Java, python
3. Low level language
Low level language provides nothing other than access to the machines basic instruction set.
Ex-
Assabmbler
C programming Language Standards
· C89/C90 Standards
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 function.
