Why use C?
C has been used successfully for every type of programming problem imaginable from operating systems to spreadsheets to expert systems - and efficient compilers are available for
machines ranging in power from the Apple Macintosh to the Cray supercomputers. The largest measure of C's success seems to be based on purely practical considerations:
the portability of the compiler;
the standard library concept;
a powerful and varied repertoire of operators;
an elegant syntax;
ready access to the hardware when needed;
and the ease with which applications can be optimized by hand-coding isolated procedures
C is often called a "Middle Level" programming language. This is not a reflection on its lack of programming power but more a reflection on its capability to access
the system's low level functions. Most high-level languages (e.g. Fortran) provides everything the programmer might want to do already built into the language. A low
level language (e.g. assembler) provides nothing other than access to the machines basic instruction set. A middle level language, such as C, probably doesn't supply
all the constructs found in high-languages - but it provides you with all the building blocks that you will need to produce the results you want!
C has been used successfully for every type of programming problem imaginable from operating systems to spreadsheets to expert systems - and efficient compilers are available for
machines ranging in power from the Apple Macintosh to the Cray supercomputers. The largest measure of C's success seems to be based on purely practical considerations:
the portability of the compiler;
the standard library concept;
a powerful and varied repertoire of operators;
an elegant syntax;
ready access to the hardware when needed;
and the ease with which applications can be optimized by hand-coding isolated procedures
C is often called a "Middle Level" programming language. This is not a reflection on its lack of programming power but more a reflection on its capability to access
the system's low level functions. Most high-level languages (e.g. Fortran) provides everything the programmer might want to do already built into the language. A low
level language (e.g. assembler) provides nothing other than access to the machines basic instruction set. A middle level language, such as C, probably doesn't supply
all the constructs found in high-languages - but it provides you with all the building blocks that you will need to produce the results you want!
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