Why should you learn C programming?

Learn c programming, this is what my seniors told me to do when I first joined college. C, Python, Java, Rust, C++, C# among all these languages why does everyone suggest we should learn c programming? Is its syntax more straightforward, is it less complex compared to others or does it take less time to master? All these questions can be answered in the following sections.

Introduction

As we all know C programming language is invented way back in the 1970s. Why are people using it in the 21st century? What are the main advantages of it? there is a lot that needs to be addressed. So, let’s get into it.

What is C?

it’s a programming language. Bro, are you kidding me, everybody knows that. well, don’t be too early. It was developed by Dennis Ritchie in the late 1970s. The main objective was to build an Operating System or a compiler. Hence it helped with the architecture of a system, Which is the most important part of any computer. C language is a Structured Programming language.

Why is C named C?

The answer to this question is not that much important. But, still, it is curious to know. C language is named C as it comes after B in BCPL. Because before C language is created there is B language which is a high-level coding language developed by Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson. later Dennis Ritchie designed C and upgraded it to C++.

Why is C Important?

C programming, like every other programming language, helps build a programming language’s core concepts. It is neither an assembly language nor a Binary language. it is a mid-level language that uses logic gates and many others which help in coding chipsets the behavior of every chipset can be altered with coding which nowadays is called as Internet of Things. C programming also helps in understanding how a CPU and processor work.

C vs C++

Many people ignore the difference between C and C++. C++ can be simply called an upgraded version of C. But, C concepts end at Structures, The main concepts of C++ start from the things which couldn’t be achieved by using structures. C is a Procedural Oriented programming language, whereas C++ is an Object Oriented Programming Language. But mostly the syntaxes of C and C++ are the same.

C	C++
C was developed by Dennis Ritchie between the years 1969 and 1973 at AT&T Bell Labs.	C++ was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup in 1979.
C does not support polymorphism, encapsulation, and inheritance which means that C does not support object-oriented programming.	C++ supports polymorphism, encapsulation, and inheritance because it is an object-oriented programming language.
C is (mostly) a subset of C++.	C++ is (mostly) a superset of C.
C does not support information hiding.	Data is hidden by the Encapsulation to ensure that data structures and operators are used as intended.
Built-in data types are supported in C.	Built-in & user-defined data types are supported in C++.
C is a function-driven language because C is a procedural programming language.	C++ is an object-driven language because it is object-oriented programming.
C is a function-driven language.	C++ is an object-driven language
C does not support inheritance.	C++ supports inheritance.

Advantages Of C Programming

A large Number of Libraries

C language has several libraries not more compared to python but still, they are a lot helpful. It is not necessary that you need to know all libraries that are present in C. but you need to learn how to include them in your code. that much you know, you can browse and use the required libraries.

For example, if I want to do swapping of two numbers would just include and use valarray method in my code.

Execution Time

C is fast in executing no doubt of that. it is highly efficient. It is essential as all that we are looking for are memory management and less waiting time. These can be achieved by using C language.

Embedded Designing

C at the core is also used in embedded design. If you are someone from the electrical side it would be a savior for you.

Competitive Programming

As every college starts programming with C only many freshman students use C language initially which makes it easier to clarify your doubts as more users contribute to solutions.

Myths

There are a lot of myths concerning the C programming language. So Let us bust some of them.

C is a must to learn C++

This is sadly believed by most young programmers. But it isn’t. If you learn C before C++ it is easier for you to understand C++. But starting with C++ is also a good choice. This confusion is due to that almost every college in India teaches C language first rather than C++ or python.

Nobody uses C nowadays

This is what I too used to believe in my freshman year. But I later in came to know that C can be upgraded but it cant be replaced. because C can also be referred to as system language. 80 percent of the code of UNIX is written in C language. C is used in competitive programming also thanks to its execution time and memory occupation.

C takes a lot of time to master

Actually to be frank everything takes time to learn But learning with interest makes the difference here. As the basic concepts of every programming language remain the same, it takes less time to master. The curve of learning C language starts from basic loops to using pointers and structures. It takes time to learn but, Once you complete this phase it is easier for you to understand other languages easily.

Conclusion

It is not the language the programmer learns that makes a difference. It is the concepts and logic they use that make them stand out. Hence, Choose any programming and go with it and later you will understand which is better for you. But do remember that, There are more tutors available to solve basic doubts compared to other languages. Now that you have understood the advantages of C Programming, Start learning C programming.