Best Resources To Learn C/C++ Programming In 2020!

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Best Resources To Learn C/C++ Programming In 2020!

Originally C programming language was developed by Dennis Ritchie for UNIX operating systems. Despite this language being easy & simple, that can run practically on any machine without any changes, C has been declared dead several times over the years. All thanks to Python & JavaScript that are being the trend! However, C programming persisted and is still being widely used in most of the technical fields. Considering this, we have compiled some of the top and latest resources that will help you understand C or learn C++ programming without any difficulties.

Today, C language is embedded into the programming of almost all the electronic devices and machines currently available. From robotics to high-end game programming to engineering, C/C++ language is a necessity. And this is why the below list will help you learn C/C++ programming- no matter whether you are a beginner or the programmer looking to upgrade your skills.

More into C/C++ Programming...

Regularly "C" language is referred to as a middle-level computer programming language. It has the ability to combine the elements of high-level languages with the functions related to assemble language. C programming gives you the capabilities to manipulate bits, bytes, and addresses. This gives you more control over the program behaviors and direct access to the mechanics of the underlying hardware.

Since C was mainly influenced, created and tested by the working programmers themselves, it completely gives what programmers really need. Coming to C++, it is a more enhanced or improved version of C language. C++ language has everything that is part of C and moreover, C++ adds support for OOP i.e. object-oriented programming. It is also packed with many improved features that make it a better version of C language.

C++ is extensible too as you can define new types in a particular way that it acts like the predefined types that are part of the standard language. Still, if you are looking to use C++ as a better version of C language then you will not be able to utilize all the features of C++ programming language. To exploit all the richness of C++, you must use this language the way it is designed. Some of its latest features are overloading operators, inline function calls, inheritance, encapsulation, and polymorphism.

Despite having other popular languages like Python, Java or JavaScript, why should I learn C/C++?

As stated earlier, C/C++ languages are one of the most popular languages that are used widely by programmers throughout the world. The concepts of C and the syntax have stood the test of time and now, it is influencing other programming languages, even the latest ones like Go.

Even if you have decided to create web applications or front-end components for all your upcoming life then also learning C programming will help you in understanding how hardware and software interact. Apart from this, don't forget that these 2 languages are everywhere. Actually, C in particular powers a lot more techs than we give it credit for and similarly, some of your favorite software including the web browser on which you are reading this blog- is built using the C++ programming language.

C might be a good base but on several occasions, you have to learn C++ along with its paradigms for software development. In case, if you are looking to create software, sophisticated productivity tools, great desktop games or complex computationally intensive programs or even if you want to learn programming language that allows you to interact with a computer's hardware directly, then C/C++ languages are the perfect fit for you.

Still not convinced? Here are my top 10 reasons why you should learn C/C++ programming languages

1. Popularity & High Salary
As I have written earlier that many times, C is considered dead but every time, the need for this language has increased than previously. Today, C/C++ might not be as popular as Python, but is equally important and is used by over 4 million programmers from all over the world. Not only this but C/C++ developers are highly valued and hold some of the top-paying jobs in various industries with an average salary of more than 100,000 annually.

2. Large Community
Both C & C++ languages have a very large community of both regular and advanced programmers who are ready to help anyone in case any support is required or to solve any queries. You can also find many of the resources on the internet easily that will help you to learn and understand everything related to these programming languages. I have mentioned some of the best resources in the later section of this blog.

3. Thousands of Library Support
Both languages have extensive support for libraries. When it comes to C++, it has the STL i.e. Standard Template Library that is very useful for writing code quickly and compactly as per the requirement. Generally, it includes 4 major components such as containers, algorithms, functions, and iterators. Here, algorithms can be of different kinds like searching, sorting and so on. Functions help in working with the associated functions to be customized with the help of the parameters passed, and the iterators are used for working upon a sequence of values. Containers help in storing the classes for implementation of different data structures that are widely used such as hash tables, stacks, queues, lists, maps, sets, vectors, and others.

4. Databases
As of today, there are several popular & modern databases like MongoDB, MySQL, MemSQL & others that are written on C++ because this language is quite new with the latest features like lambda expressions, exceptions and so on. All the databases that are written in this language are being used in apps like WordPress, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and others.

5. Operating Systems
All the widely used operating systems, be it Windows, iOS, Linux, Ubuntu and others are written using C and C++ programming. It is because C or C++ provides high speed and has a strongly typed nature. For instance, Windows applications are completely written in C++, whereas, Android apps are written in C/C++ along with Java. The core of the iOS apps is developed using C++.

6. Embedded Systems
Since both these programming languages are closer to the hardware, it is quite useful to use these languages in embedded systems, as the software and hardware are closely couples. Today, there are several embedded systems like smartwatches, GPS systems, MP3 players and others that use C/C++ programming languages.

7. Portable
These 2 programming languages are highly portable too. Any programs that are developed using C/C++ programming can be easily moved from one platform to another. It is the main reason why programmers use C++ for the applications that require the development over different devices or different platforms.

8. Compilers
Since C/C++ is closer to the hardware and are comparatively low-level languages, it is highly used in many compilers as a back end programming language. A top example of this is GCC or GNU Compiler Collection that is written in C and C++ programming language.

9. Web browsers
Many web browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and others are developed using C/C++ programming languages. Chrome consists of C++ in its rendering engine, JavaScript engine, and UI whereas, Firefox uses this language mostly in rendering engine and UI. While Safari uses C++ programming in JavaScript and rendering engine. The majority of these browsers mainly use C++ in their rendering engines because it provides speed that is required by the rendering engines for displaying the content at an accelerated rate.

10. Graphics
Various applications that need graphics like computer vision, digital image processing, screen reading programs, and others use C++ because of its high speed. This is also true for many games that include graphics as the main part of their structure.

So, as of now, I am very sure that you have the right idea about the importance of C/C++ programming.