Introduction to C Language
C is a powerful, general-purpose programming language developed by Dennis Ritchie in 1972 at Bell Labs. It is widely used for system programming, embedded systems, and application development.
What Are Embedded Systems?
- Definition: A specialized computing system designed for a specific task within a larger system.
- Examples:
✔ Smartwatches
✔ Digital cameras
✔ Automotive control systems (ABS, Airbags)
✔ Medical devices (Pacemakers)
Key Features of C:
✅ Structured Language – Uses functions and control structures.
✅ Fast Execution – Closer to hardware, minimal overhead.
Only low-level languages (Machine Language and Assembly) are truly close to hardware. However, C is sometimes considered a “middle-level language” because:
- It provides low-level access to memory (e.g., pointers).
- It allows direct hardware manipulation (e.g., writing drivers, operating systems).
- It has minimal runtime overhead, making execution faster than most high-level languages.
While C is officially a high-level language, it retains many low-level capabilities, which is why it’s often used in system programming and performance-critical applications like operating systems and embedded systems.
Minimal overhead means that the language introduces very little extra processing beyond the actual execution of the code.
C generally has faster execution compared to most other high-level languages because of its minimal overhead and closer interaction with hardware.
C has both high-level and low-level features, which is why it’s often called a “middle-level language.”
✅ Portable – Can run on different platforms with minimal modification.
✅ Low-Level Access – Can directly interact with memory and hardware.
✅ Rich Standard Library – Provides built-in functions for common tasks.
Why Learn C?
- Foundation for Other Languages: C influences many modern languages like C++, Java, and Python.
- Efficient and Powerful: Used in operating systems, compilers, and real-time systems.
- A compiler is a program that translates high-level code into machine code so the CPU can execute it.
- C is commonly used to build compilers because:
- ✅ It is fast and has low-level access to memory.
- ✅ It provides fine control over system resources.
- ✅ Many modern compilers (like GCC, Clang) are written in C themselves!
- It means C is both used to write compilers and is also compiled by them.
- Widely Used: Found in embedded systems, game development, and performance-critical applications.