Whither C?

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By the early 1980s, C was already a dominant language in the minicomputer world of UNIX systems. Since then, it has spread to personal computers (microcomputers) and to mainframes (the big guys). See Figure 1.2. Many software houses use C as the preferred language for producing word processing programs, spreadsheets, compilers, and other products. These companies know that C produces compact and efficient programs. More important, they know that these programs will be easy to modify and easy to adapt to new models of computers.

Figure 1.2. Where C is used.

What's good for the companies and the C veterans is good for other users, too. More and more computer users are turning to C to secure its advantages for themselves . You don't have to be a computer professional to use C.

In the 1990s, we should point out, many software houses are turning to the C++ language for large programming projects. C++ grafts object-oriented programming tools to the C language. C++ is nearly a superset of C, meaning that any C program is, or nearly is, a valid C++ program, too. By learning C, you also learn much of C++.

In short, C is one of the most important programming languages and will continue to be so. It is used on mainframes, minicomputers, and personal computers. It is used by software companies, computer science students, and enthusiasts of all sorts. If you want a job writing software, one of the first questions you should be able to answer yes to is "Oh say, can you C?"

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