Know C

Know C

Posted by shabeer Ahamed F

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.


The C programming language is a structure oriented programming language, developed at Bell Laboratories in 1972 by Dennis RitchieC programming language features were derived from an earlier language called “B” (Basic Combined Programming Language – BCPL)C language was invented for implementing UNIX operating systemIn 1978, Dennis Ritchie and Brian Kernighan published the first edition  “The C Programming Language” and commonly known as K&R CIn 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 languageIt 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:

ReliabilityPortabilityFlexibilityInteractivityModularityEfficiency 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 systemsGraphics packagesWord processorsSpreadsheetsOperating system developmentCompilers and AssemblersNetwork driversInterpreters

Which level is C language belonging to?

C belongs to Middle level languages and it 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....

The C language is a structured language

In this type of language, large programs are divided into small programs called functionsData moves freely around the systems from one function to anotherPrime focus is on functions and procedures that operate on the dataProgram structure follows “Top Down Approach”Examples:C, Pascal, ALGOL and Modula-2

Points to Remember:

The C language is structured, middle level programming language developed by Dennis RitchieOperating system programs such as Windows, Unix, Linux are written in C languageC89/C90 and C99 are two standardized editions of C languageC has been written in assembly language