Details and Features of C LANGUAGE

C LANGUAGE

The C programming language is a structure oriented programming language, general-purpose, imperative computer programming language, lexical variable scope and recursion, while a static type system prevents many unintended operations.

C was originally developed by Dennis Ritchie between 1969 and 1973 at Bell Laboratory, and used to re-implement the Unix operating system. It has since become one of the most widely used programming languages of all time, with C compilers from various vendors available for the majority of existing computer architectures and operating systems. C has been standardized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) since 1989 (see ANSI C) and subsequently by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).



C programming language features were derived from an earlier language called “B” (Basic Combined Programming Language – BCPL). C language was invented for implementing UNIX operating system

In 1978, Dennis Ritchie and Brian Kernighan published the first edition “The C Programming Language” and commonly known as K&R C

In 1983, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) established a committee to provide a modern, comprehensive definition of C. The resulting definition, the ANSI standard, or “ANSI C”, was completed late 1988.

C is an imperative (procedural) language. It was designed to be compiled using a relatively straightforward compiler, to provide low-level access to memory, to provide language constructs that map efficiently to machine instructions, and to require minimal run-time support. Therefore, C was useful for many applications that had formerly been coded in assembly language, for example in system programming.

The C language is reliable, simple and easy to use. C has been coded in assembly language.


FEATURES OF C PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE:

1. Reliability

2. Portability

3. Flexibility

4. Interactivity

5. Modularity

6. Efficiency and Effectiveness

The C programming language is used for developing system applications that forms a major portion of operating systems such as Windows, UNIX and Linux.

Despite its low-level capabilities, the language was designed to encourage cross-platform programming. A standards-compliant and portably written C program can be compiled for a very wide variety of computer platforms and operating systems with few changes to its source code. The language has become available on a very wide range of platforms, from embedded microcontrollers to supercomputers.