C is a general-purpose, high-level programming language that has stood the test of time. Developed in the early 1970s by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs, it has influenced many other modern programming languages like C++, Java, and Python.
🌟 Why Learn C?
- Foundation of Programming: Many modern languages are built on C concepts.
- Efficient and Fast: C provides low-level access to memory and is ideal for system programming.
- Portable: C programs can be compiled and run on various types of machines with little or no modification.
- Versatile: Used in OS development, embedded systems, compilers, and more.
🧠 Key Characteristics of C
- Procedural Language: Follows a top-down approach with a structured programming style.
- Compiled Language: C source code is compiled to machine code, enhancing performance.
- Rich Library: Offers a wide range of built-in functions.
- Pointer Support: Direct memory management through pointers.
📝 Example: A Simple C Program
Let’s look at a basic C program to print Hello, World!
:
#includeint main() { printf("Hello, World!\n"); return 0; }