C Programming

C is a general-purpose, procedural computer programming language supporting structured programming, lexical variable scope, and recursion, with a static type system. By design, C provides constructs that map efficiently to typical machine instructions. It has found lasting use in applications previously coded in assembly language. Such applications include operating systems and various application software for computer architectures that range from supercomputers to PLCs and embedded systems.

C is known as a mother language because most of the compilers and JVMs are written in C language. Most of the languages which are developed after the C language has borrowed heavily from it. Few examples of languages that borrowed from C language are C++, Python, Rust, Javascript, etc. It introduces new core concepts like arrays, functions, file handling which are used in these languages.

C has the features of both assembly-level languages i.e low-level languages and higher-level languages. So that’s why C is generally called a middle-level Language. The user uses the C language for writing an operating system and generates a menu-driven customer billing system.

C language was developed in 1972 at the bell laboratories of AT&T.

Dennis Ritchie.

The main features of the C language are given below:

• Simple: C is a simple language because it follows the structured approach, that is a program is broken into parts.
• Portable: C is highly portable means that once the program is written can be run on any machine with little or no modifications.
• Mid Level: C is a mid-level programming language as it combines the low-level language with the features of the high-level language.
• Structured: C is a structured language as the C program is broken into parts.
• Fast Speed: C language is very fast as it uses a powerful set of data types and operators.
• Memory Management: C provides an inbuilt memory function that saves the memory and improves the efficiency of our program.
• Extensible: C is an extensible language as it can adopt new features in the future.

The Datatypes in C Language are broadly classified into 4 categories. They are as follows:

• Basic Datatypes
• Derived Datatypes
• Enumerated Datatypes
• Void Datatypes

The Basic Datatypes supported in C Language are as follows:

Following are the differences between a local variable and a global variable:

The variables and functions that are declared using the keyword Static are considered as Static Variable and Static Functions. The variables declared using Static keyword will have their scope restricted to the function in which they are declared.

void f() { 
   static int i; 
   ++i; 
   printf(“%d “,i); 
}

Following are the uses of a static variable:

• A variable that is declared as static is known as a static variable. The static variable retains its value between multiple function calls.
• Static variables are used because the scope of the static variable is available in the entire program. So, we can access a static variable anywhere in the program.
• The static variable is initially initialized to zero. If we update the value of a variable, then the updated value is assigned.
• The static variable is used as a common value that is shared by all the methods.
• The static variable is initialized only once in the memory heap to reduce memory usage.