C is a robust language whose rich set of built-in functions and operators can be used to write complex programs. C language has become a popular programming language not because of its lack of programming power but because of its supporting features and capability to access the systems from low level functions. The C compiler combines the features of assembly language and high-level language which makes it best suited for writing system software as well as business packages. Some basic and important characteristics of C language that defines the language are listed below;
Characteristics and Features C Language
- Small size programming language- C has only 32 keywords. This makes it’s relatively easy to learn as compared to other languages.
- C is a general purpose procedure-based programming language. This means the program is viewed as a means to solve a problem. For the purpose of solving a problem C language have a rich collection of various functions modules or code blocks.
- C is well suited for structured programming. In this programming approach, C enables the users to think of problem in terms of functions/modules where the collection of all the modules makes up a complete program. This feature facilitates easiness in program debugging, testing and maintenance.
- C is simple and easy to learn and use. The main components like built-in functions, operators, identifiers, keywords and data types are small in number.
- C provides a compact representation for complex expressions that are easy to understand and debug.
- C functions can accept parameters (actual and/or formal) and return values and perform a variety of tasks like input from the user, displaying the information, etc.
- C is a quick language- as a well written C program is likely to be as quick as or quicker than a program written in any other language. Since C programs make use of operators and data types, they are fast and efficient. For example, 0-15000 using BASIC would take 50 seconds whereas a C program would do the same in just 1 second.
- In C, errors are checked only at compile time. The compiled codes though have no safety checks for bad type casts, bad array indices, or bad pointers.
- Unlike PASCAL, C language supports loose typing (as a character can be treated as an integer and vice versa).
- C language allows the manipulation of internal processor registers.
- C language works best for small projects where performance is important.
- C language contains the capability of assembly language with the features of high-level language which can be used for creating software packages, system software etc.
- C is highly portable. C programs written on one computer can run on another computer without making any changes in the program.
- C language is a core language as many other programming languages (like C++, JAVA, Perl, etc.) are based on C. If a programmer know C language, learning other computer languages becomes much easier.
- C has no rigid format. Any number of statements can be typed in a single line.
- C language is rich portable functionality that means any C program can be run on different machines with little or without modification in existing code.
- C language has the ability to extend itself by adding functions to its library.
- C is often treated as the second-best language for any given programming task. While the best language depends on the particular task to be performed, the second best language, on the other side will always be C language.
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