How to Learn C - 12 Bootcamps to Get You Started

C is useful in developing a host of applications because it produces code that performs almost as fast and efficiently as those written in assembly language.

C is the preferred coding language when developing the following applications:

• Operating systems
• Network drivers
• Language compilers
• Databases
• Embedded systems
• Many other mission-critical utilities

While C is a mid-level language, it is also considered a foundation language. Once you grasp the fundamentals of C programming, it's easier to understand other languages and applications based on its concepts.

C is an elegant, simple language that is compact, efficient, and fast. One benefit of learning C is that it helps the programmer understand the underlying architecture and fundamentals of computer theories such as pointers, memory management, and allocation. C powers a large portion of the world's technical infrastructure, such as OS kernels, web browsers, and language interpreters, so it's a highly recommended language for those who want to work on state-of-the-art projects or who want to understand how computers work in general.

Because C has a clean style, a simple set of keywords, and low-level access to memory, programmers can write more efficient code. The language also has a powerful library of in-built functions that can be extended by added features and functions.

C is an excellent language for those who plan to build an application that is more resource-intensive than a simple web app. Learning C is also imperative for programmers who want to develop applications where it is necessary to have fine-grained control of the computer and its underlying resources.

Knowledge of C is useful when an application must implement lower-level programming elements such as:

• Pointer-driven memory allocation
• Template expansion
• Address alignment
• Multi-thread data races
• Approximate machine implementation of algorithms

C is necessary for developing applications at the cutting-edge of optimized processor and memory utilization such as games, operating systems, embedded systems, IoT devices, compilers, and network drivers.

Generally, the jobs that require the knowledge of C programming language fall within the software developer and software engineer category. Although C is essential for computing throughout the world, it is mostly used for low-level software development. As a result, jobs needing C programming experience are at organizations that develop or maintain applications that need micro-optimization and fine-tuning and that afford to compromise on performance. According to Indeed.com, C developers in the United States earn an average annual salary of $106,320.

C's library consists of a set of named functions. These built-in functions are grouped to form libraries that perform a specific operation in C like handling input/output. The C library is commonly referred to as the C standard library, and it is composed of static and dynamic libraries. These functions are provided so development doesn't have to reinvent the wheel each time they perform a basic operating system task.

Header files are where all of the C standard library functions are stored, and these files are denoted by names such as stdio.h, string.h, stdlib.h, and so on. The GNU C Library Reference Manual can be found here.

A framework is a conceptual structure that supports the development of software applications. Frameworks include a compiler, code libraries, and other necessary tools. The difference between a framework and a library is the flow of control: with the former, the flow of control is dictated by the framework; with the latter, the flow is dictated by the developer.

C frameworks are generally considered libraries because they don't support object-oriented programming. Neither do they need the full-fledged tools and development support that web applications require. OpenGL and TCP/IP are examples of two "frameworks" that are used with the C language.