Chapter 1.1 Produce an overview of C Programming Language

IMPORTANCE OF C - ANSI C

The increasing popularity of C is probably due to its many desirable qualities. It is a robust language whose rich set of built-in functions and operators can be used to write any complex program. The compiler combines the capabilities of an assembly language with the features of the high-level language and therefore it is well suited for writing both system software and business packages. In fact, many of the C compilers available in the market are written in C.

IMPORTANCE OF C

Programs written in C are efficient and fast. This is due to a variety of data types and powerful operators. It is many times faster than BASIC. For example, a program to increment a variable from 0 to 20000 takes about one second in C while it takes more than 50 seconds in an interpreter BASIC.

There are only 32 keywords in ANSI C and its strength lies in its built-in functions. Serval standard functions are available which can be used for developing a program.

C is highly portable. This means that C programs written for one computer can be run on another with little or no modification. Portability is important if we plan to use a new computer with a different operating system.

    Chapter 1 History of C Language - ANSI 'C'

C language is well suited for structured programming, thus requiring the user to think of a problem in terms of functional modules or blocks. A proper collection of these modules would make a complete program. This modular structure makes program debugging, testing and maintenance easier.

Another important feature of C is its ability to extend itself. A C program is basically a collection of functions that are supported by the C library.  We can continuously add our own functions to C library. With the availability of a large number of functions, the programming task becomes simple.

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Before discussing specific features of C, we shall look at some sample C programs, and analyze and understand how they work.

New To This Edition  

Distinguished as one of the bestsellers in the market, this revised edition of 'Programming In ANSI C' is now a Hybrid print book which has been designed for enhanced higher learning. This seventh edition is thoroughly updated with outcomes-based learning approach as per standard 'Bloom's Taxonomy'. The new additions are important content like "Graphic Programming using C", and introduction to C11.