Beginning Programming ALL-IN-ONE DESK REFERENCE FOR DUMMIES®

Chapter VI.1. C and C++

The C language focuses on simplicity. Whereas other programming languages include a large numbers of keywords, the C language consists of a much smaller number of keywords. As a result, creating C compilers is relatively easy compared to creating compilers for other programming languages, which means that C compilers are easy to write for every operating system. This makes it easier to transfer, or port, C programs from one computer to another.

Because the C language consists of relatively few keywords, it lacks features commonly found in other programming languages, such as offering a string data type. To compensate for its relative sparseness of features, most C compilers include a variety of library files that contain pre-written C code that adds these useful features to the C language. The main problem with C compilers is that every C compiler tends to offer different library files, so a C program designed to run on Windows may not run correctly with a different C compiler on Linux.

The C++ language builds on the C language by adding object-oriented features while retaining the C language's hardware access, speed, and portability. Most large and complicated programs, such as operating systems, are written in C++.

Because C/C++ gives complete access to all parts of the computer, a mistake in a C/C++ program can wipe out data off a hard disk or crash the entire operating system of the computer. Writing C/C++ programs may be easy, but understanding and fixing ...