Introduction to C Programming

Introduction to C Programming

• C programming language was developed in 1972 at AT&T's Bell Laboratories by Dennis Ritchie.
• Understanding C begins with learning its alphabet, numbers, special symbols, constants, variables, and keywords.
• A program in C is a collection of instructions for solving specific problems, governed by the computer’s instruction set.
• Algorithms define the approach to solving problems within programming.

Types of Programming Languages

• Low-level Languages:

  • Comprised of machine-level and assembly-level languages.
  • Machine-level languages operate in binary (0s and 1s), making them difficult for programmers to implement instructions.
  • Assembly language uses readable syntax (e.g., ADD, MOV) but still requires knowledge of hardware specifics.
  • Both types are non-portable and prone to errors.

• High-level Languages:

  • Machine-independent and portable, examples include Pascal, COBOL, and Fortran.
  • High-level languages require translation into machine code via translators to be understood by computers.

Types of Translators

• Compiler:

  • Converts high-level code into machine code in one batch.
  • Identifies errors during the complete read of the program before producing object code.
  • Preferred for larger programs due to its efficiency.

• Interpreter:

  • Translates code line-by-line and executes it.
  • Detects errors statement-by-statement, leading to slower performance than compilers.

• Assembler:

  • Converts assembly language to machine code.

Importance of C

• C is known for its robustness, built-in functions, and operators suitable for complex programming tasks.
• It merges assembly language efficiency with high-level language features, making it ideal for system software and business applications.
• C programs are efficient, fast, and highly portable.
• Structured programming is a key attribute of C, with programs being collections of functions supported by a C library.

Sample C Program Structure

• Every C program must include one main function, which indicates the program's starting point.
• The main() function has empty parentheses, denoting no parameters.
• Curly braces {} define the function body, encapsulating all execution statements within the function.