Unit 2
1. Introduction of C:
C is a
computer programming language
. That means that you can use C tocreate lists of instructions for a computer to follow. C is one of thousands of programming languages currently in use. C has been around for several decadesand has won widespread acceptance because it gives programmers maximumcontrol and efficiency. C is an easy language to learn.C is what is called a
compiled language
. This means that once you write your Cprogram, you must run it through a
C compiler
to turn your program into an
executable
that the computer can run (execute). The C program is the human-readable form, while the executable that comes out of the compiler is the
On compiling
machine-readable and executable form. What this means is that to write and runa C program, you must have access to a C compiler.You can use Turbo C or Turbo C++ Compilers for this purpose.
2. History of C
The
milestones
in C's development as a language are listed below:
•
UNIX developed c. 1969 -- DEC PDP-7 Assembly Language
•
BCPL -- a user friendly OS providing powerful development toolsdeveloped from BCPL. Assembler tedious long and error prone.
•
A new language ``B'' a second attempt. c. 1970.
•
A totally new language ``C'' a successor to ``B''. c. 1971
•
By 1973 UNIX OS almost totally written in ``C''.
3. Features of C
•
Small size
•
Extensive use of function calls
•
Loose typing -- unlike PASCAL
•
Structured language
•
Low level (Bitwise) programming readily available
•
Pointer implementation - extensive use of pointers for memory, array,structures and functions.C has now become a widely used professional language for various reasons.
•
It has high-level constructs.
•
It is robust language whose rich set of built-in functions and operators canbe used to write any complex program.
•
It can handle low-level activities.
•
It produces efficient programs.
•
It is fast. (much faster than BASIC).
•
It can be compiled on a variety of computers.
•
It has the ability to extend itself(A C program is basically collection of functions that are supported by the C Library, We can continuously add our own functions to the C Library)
4. C Program Structure
A C program basically has the following form:
Documentation SectionLink SectionDefinition SectionGlobal Declaration SectionMain() Function Section{ }Subprogram Section Declaration PartExecutable PartFunction 1Function 2…..……..Function n
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