The C programming language is one of the most popular programming languages. But what is C programming used for? Did you know that the C programming language is still very popular and can be used for all sorts of app development, on Windows, iOS, Android, Linux / Unix operating systems and can be used for other systems such IoT devices? The C programming language can be used to develop apps with C or C++ SDKs and with free developer tools like Dev-C++ and C++ Builder Community Edition. The latest C++ Builder can be used to develop C applications in Windows 11, including x86, x64 and ARM CPUs even though C++ Builder’s primary function is as a really great C++ IDE and compiler toolset.
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What is a C programming IDE used for on Windows, iOS and Android?
An IDE (Integrated Development Environment) is a software application that provides a complete set of features for application development. Code is generally written in text format, and you can easily edit or modify your code using text editors like Notepad, etc. For a developer, beginner or professional, however, a C++ IDE is really important because of powerful tailored features like error highlights, auto code completion, and help system which help with the process of writing the code plus the opportunity to run, test, debug, deploy, merge or transform code to run on other platforms (multiplatform or cross-platform coding) are also important. All these capabilities require a powerful compiler and IDE which is a specialized tool to help developers create and test their code.
In my opinion the Best C and C++ Compiler and IDE for Windows 8, 10 and 11 is, C++ Builder 11.1 IDE and Compiler
The C++ Builder IDE has 5 main parts. These are the Code Editor Window and Form Designer, Projects Window, Palette Window, Structure Window, Object Inspector Window. You can find less commonly used windows and functions from the main IDE menu as well as the right-click context menus.
In my opinion, If we combine all these above, the Best C and C++ Compiler and IDE for Windows 8, 10 and 11 is, C++ Builder 11.1 IDE and Compiler
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What is C programming used for?
The C Programming Language was developed in the 1970s and since 1970, there have been many programming languages and have been many changes in C language, like C+, C++, CLANG standards C++99, C++11, C++14, and C++17. C++ programming language includes C language and is powered by Object Oriented Programming features like Classes, Objects and Methods. Still, these two powerful languages are very popular, frequently appearing in the top 3 programming language choices – but if we consider its other variations and its usage on microchips and IoTs it is the most used programming language.
Since 1983, because of C++, generally C programming name is not used but most of the codes are based on classic C language, and these can be compiled with C++ compilers and IDEs. Sometimes we combine and use C functions in the methods of C++ classes. Generally, a C++ compiler also compiles C language-specific commands, most of the standard C++ commands like for(), while(), printf() come from the C language. One of the biggest differences between C and C++ programming languages is, C++ is an Object Oriented Programming (OOP) language that supports using Classes, Objects, Methods etc.
The C Programming Language was developed in 1970’s and originally developed at Bell Labs by Dennis Ritchie between 1972 and 1973 to construct utilities running on Unix. It was applied to re-implementing the kernel of the Unix operating system. Later it is used in other operating systems. For more details of programming history of C and C++ you can read this article below.
C and C++ Compilers are great tools to develop when they are paired with a professional C++ IDE for Windows app development. According to TIOBE Index (July 2022) and parallel to these results in many true statistic web sites, C and C++ programming language have more than 23+% share in total, C language has more than 13.13% share and if you add Objective-C, Swift, and other C and C++ related programming languages it has about more than 33% share in worldwide and note that these are recorded from online data only. There might be more C and C++ developers if we include those kinds of other operating systems which are offline or embedded systems and not included in these records.
Here are some introduction level C examples below,
The C++ Compiler and C++ IDE features really evolved from the early and auspicious beginnings of Turbo C, C++ and Borland C++. Today we have a wide array of features supporting a rich and diverse amount of OS platforms running on thousands of types of devices encompassing everything from cell phones, watches, cars to a broad collection of IoT (internet of things) specialized hardware. If we look at the C and C++ programming languages it has more than a %33+ share in programming overall and is still the most popular programming language worldwide. It is really amazing to see the ways in which humanity is benefitting from the advances in technology that have accompanied the evolution of our beloved programming language.
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What is C programming used for on Windows?
There are two types of programming languages: Interpreted and Non-Interpreted (Compiled). All computers (CPU/GPU) work with machine code (code that can be directly programmed by assembler codes) that tells the computer what to do (exe files are this kind of file). This is the most native and fastest code, but it requires writing many lines for simple things and is hard to generalize for all kinds of machines. A compiler (C or C++ Compiler, etc.) is a computer program that converts one programming language i.e., C/C++ code written with text into executable machine code with a linker. Here is how you can develop C applications in Windows 10 and 11 too,
Such code may not be as fast as assembler code, but the difference in speed is very small because both machine code and compiler-based code in text form are much more compatible with other CPU/GPUs and/or with other Operating Systems when you compile them on a machine. This is one reason why C++ is the fastest and most powerful programming language. Interpreted programming languages run inside executable runtime applications like Java, Python, or Visual Basic. This is why they are slower when executing operations, as they need to use external compiled libraries for faster operations. Again, they mostly use C/C++ compilers to build both the runtimes and external libraries. More often than not, the engine enabling the other languages are written in C or C++. Using an interpreted programming language is like being carried by a runner, while a compiled (non-interpreted) programming language is like running itself. This subtle difference turns into a huge gap when you run the same routine for example in face recognition, millions of times a millisecond.
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Which C programming IDE is used for professional application development?
C++ Builder is the easiest and fastest C and C++ IDE for building simple or professional applications on the Windows, macOS, iOS & Android operating systems. It is also easy for beginners to learn with its wide range of samples, tutorials, help files, and LSP support for code. C++ Builder comes with Rapid Application Development Studio, also known as RAD Studio. RAD Studio’s C++ Builder comes with the award-winning VCL framework for high-performance native Windows apps and the powerful FireMonkey (FMX) framework for cross-platform UIs. There is a free C++ Builder Community Edition for students, beginners, and startups.
More details about C++ Builder & RAD Studio for the beginners can be found in Official Wiki of Rad Studio.
C++ Builder is the easiest and fastest C and C++ IDE for building simple or professional applications on the Windows, MacOS, iOS & Android operating systems. It is also easy for beginners to learn with its wide range of samples, tutorials, help files, and LSP support for code. RAD Studio’s C++ Builder version comes with the award-winning VCL framework for high-performance native Windows apps and the powerful FireMonkey (FMX) framework for cross-platform UIs.
For students, beginners, and startups you can download a free C++ Builder Community Edition. If you are a professional developer, you can download a free trial copy of Professional, Architect, or Enterprise versions of C++ Builder.