C language is one of the
most popular computer languages today because it is a structured, high level,
machine independent language. It allows software developers to develop
programs without worrying about the hardware
platforms where they will be implemented. C is called a high level, compiler language. The aim of any high level computer language
is to provide an easy and natural way of giving a programme of
instructions to a computer.
C is one of a large number
of high level languages which can be used for general purpose programming, i.e., anything from writing small
programs for personal amusement to writing
complex applications. It is unusual in several ways.
Before C, high
level languages were
criticized by machine code programmers because they shielded the user from the working
details of the computer. The C
language has been equipped with features that allow programs to be organized in
an easy and logical way. This is vitally important for writing lengthy programs
because complex problems are only
manageable with a clear organization and program structure.
C allows meaningful variable
names and meaningful function names to be used in programs without any loss of efficiency and it gives a complete
freedom of style,
it has a set of very flexible loop constructions and neat ways of making decisions. These provide an excellent
basis for controlling the flow of programs. Another feature of C is the way it can express ideas concisely. The richness of a language shapes
what it can talk about.
C gives us the apparatus to build neat and compact
programs. C tries to make the best of a computer by linking as closely
as possible to the local environment.
The increasing popularity
of C is probably due to its many desirable qualities. It is a robust language whose rich set of built-in functions and operators can be used
to write any complex program. The C compiler combines
the capabilities of an assembly
language with the features of a high-level language and therefore it is
well suited for writing both system software and business packages. Programs
written in C are efficient and fast. This is due to its variety of data types
and powerful operators. C is highly portable.
This means that C programs
written for one computer can be run on
another with little or no modification. Another feature of C is its ability to
extend itself.
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