Notes – Introduction to C Programming
C is one of the most foundational programming languages in the software world. It was created in the early 1970s and is still widely used today.
What is C?
- C is a general-purpose programming language.
- It supports structured programming.
- Known for its speed, efficiency, and low-level memory access.
- C is often called the mother of modern programming languages like C++, Java, and Python.
History of C
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1969–1972 | Developed by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs |
| 1978 | First official release in “The C Programming Language” book by Kernighan and Ritchie |
| 1989 | ANSI C (C89) standard released |
| 1999 | C99 standard introduced new features like inline, new data types |
| 2011 | C11 released with more improvements |
Why Learn C?
- Helps understand how computers work at a lower level.
- Used in systems like operating systems, embedded systems, device drivers, etc.
- Improves logic building and debugging skills.
- Forms a strong foundation before learning advanced languages.
Key Features of C
- Fast execution compared to many modern languages.
- Portability – write once, run on many machines (with some changes).
- Rich set of built-in functions and operators.
- Direct memory access using pointers.
- Modular code with the help of functions.
Where is C Used?
- Operating Systems (e.g., UNIX, Linux kernel)
- Embedded systems (e.g., microcontrollers)
- Compilers and Interpreters
- Networking applications
- Game development engines
