LESSON 1


Introduction To C Programming Language

 

INTRODUCTION  

C is a general-purpose high level language that was originally developed by Dennis Ritchie for the Unix operating system. It was first implemented on the Digital Equipment Corporation PDP-11 computer in 1972.

The Unix operating system and virtually all Unix applications are written in the C language. C has now become a widely used professional language for various reasons.

·        Easy to learn

·        Structured language

·        It produces efficient programs.

·        It can handle low-level activities.

·        It can be compiled on a variety of computers. 

 

WHY  LEARN C?

 

C was initially used for system development work, in particular the programs that make-up the operating system. C was adoped as a system development language because it produces code that runs nearly as fast as code written in assembly language. Some examples of the use of C might be:

  • Operating Systems
  • Language Compilers
  • Assemblers
  • Text Editors
  • Print Spoolers
  • Network Drivers
  • Modern Programs
  • Data Bases
  • Language Interpreters
  • Utilities

HISTORY OF C LANGUAGE 

C programming language was developed in 1972 by Dennis Ritchie at bell laboratories of AT&T (American Telephone & Telegraph), located in the U.S.A.

Dennis Ritchie is known as the founder of the c language.

It was developed to overcome the problems of previous languages such as B, BCPL, etc. Initially, C language was developed to be used in UNIX operating system. It inherits many features of previous languages such as B and BCPL.

 

FEATURES OF C LANGUAGE

 

C language has a rich set of features. These include:

 

 1. There are a small, fixed number of keywords, including a full set of control flow primitives. This means there is not much vocabulary to learn. 

2. C is a powerful, flexible language that provides fast program execution and imposes few constraints on the programmer.

 3. It allows low level access to information and commands while still retaining the portability and syntax of a high level language. These qualities make it a useful language for both systems programming and general purpose programs. 

4. Another strong point of C is its use of modularity. Sections of code can be stored in libraries for re-use in future programs.

 5. There are a large number of arithmetical, relational, bitwise and logical operators.