Why you should learn C as your first programming language?

Programming skills are in high demand. Learning a programming language can also help employees break into in-demand fields like software engineering or web development.

For a newbie programmer, the biggest questions have always arisen that from where they should start? and which language has to pick for first learning as a programming language?

Because there are hundreds of programming languages used in the professional industry and most of the academic institutions. This is necessary that you have to be familiar and able to program with at least few programming languages to be successful, though your future career may not relate to computer programming, but falls inside computer tech industry. The best programming language to learn first depends on your goals and what you want to create. If you aren't sure what programming domain you want to work in, you might want to start with C.

C language is one of the most fundamental skills that increase knowledge and help to understand about computer programming.

So, you should learn C language as your first, and then pick any language that will best suit your future need. C is the most beautiful and charming language of all, and you will literally blow away by the simplicity and elegance of C. Though it's simple, but it's the most powerful language than other. If you learn C at the beginning then it will help you to learn and use other languages very easily.

Let’s check out some other importance of C language that will help you to understand why you should learn C as your first programming language.

• C isn't a big language, it has only a few reserved words, so it's easy to learn. However, just like playing chess, it only takes few minutes to understand the rules.

• Actually, C is simple to get started with it. It has relatively few data types, built-in/default libraries. It will also give you a solid background for anything to do easily in future.

• Many working principles of IT and CS, such as programming languages, computer architectures, operating systems, network communication, database, graphical user interface (GUI), graphics, image processing, parallel processing, multi-threads, real-time systems, device drivers, data acquisition, algorithms, numerical analysis, and computer game, etc. are based on or reflected in the functionalities and features of C.

• In dynamic IT world, C has remained since three decades or more and even today there is hardly any language which can match its strength. Because most of the new languages are came after C but get obsolete after some time. So, if you learn C then you will also use it easily as your requirement after passing few years.

• C gives the basic idea about data types, variables, constants, loops, function and other concepts that will always be there in all programming language.

• C has unbeatable performance and speed of execution.

• To be master in C++ or Java languages, you need to have a strong concept of programming elements such as polymorphism, classes, inheritance etc. Because these are such complicated concepts that you don't even know about the basic elements such as block functions. So, C is a solution which begins from scratch and it has foundational concepts on which today concepts stand on.

• With C, you get a few library calls, you stay focused on the semantics of the language longer, and C often offers the situation that will help you to think harder and deeper about what’s happening under the hood in programming.

• C also is the language of compilers, interpreters, editors, operating systems and embedded programming.

• C is designed from the base to top to be a block-structured language.

• With C, your concept always clear about how programs are executed. And you can able to know what things like register, stack, heap, and memory mapped IO mean.

• Almost any valid C program is also a valid C++ program.

• It is language on which C++ is based on, hence C# also derives its origin from the C. Java is also a distant cousin of C and share the same programming concept and syntax of C. To work with them you must get to learn and work first with C.

• C provides you access to the basic elements of the computer. It gives you direct access to the memory of your CPU through pointers. It allows you to manipulate and play with bits and bytes.

• C has raw pointers, bitwise operators, and the keywords: extern, volatile, static, and register - meaning that will help you to understand more about writing efficient code than you can glean from any higher level language.

• Once you've learned C, and written a couple of embedded programs on some single board computers, learning C++ is a natural next step.

• C++, Java, and C# programs are still written in C. And those make use of OOP (Object Oriented Programming).

• In C, for the most part, the primitives are actually primitive. And that is easy to see how one would build more complex constructs from them.

• More than 90 percent of the programs running on our desktops, from operating systems and e-mail clients to Web browsers and word processors, are written in C or its relative, C++ which has extensions to C.

• The major parts of the Windows, Unix, and Linux are still written in C. So, if you want to program OS or create your own you need to know C.

• Many principles and concepts in STEM disciplines can be illustrated and reinforced through writing programs. C and C++ are more widely used in STEM fields than any other programming languages such as Java, Fortran, or Matlab.

• C is a middle-level language because it combines the best part of the high-level language with low-level language. It is both user and machine oriented and provides infinite possibilities.

• Developing a program to solve a practical problem involves many creative works, including design, logic reasoning, math, etc. It can help students find practical applications of many math concepts such as variables in Algebra I and trigonometry. Debugging a program can also help a student to improve their reasoning and logical thinking capabilities. The computer-aided problem-solving capabilities can be trained if using C.

• Most of the appliances such as Mobiles, Palmtops, PDA's,  T.V., Refrigerators, and Microwaves etc. are becoming an integral part of our daily needs and all of them have a CPU which do need programming and the software's written for them are known as embedded system programs. These programs have to be fast in execution but also have a very little memory. So, C is ideally suited for embedded system programming.

• Even today 3D games also use C as their core. Not only that, even today there is no match for C.

• With C, you can learn about building terminal applications, critical analysis of patterns to write code, design functionality like upper to lower case, and learn to create your own terminal application in C.

• C is one of its own type of programming language that shares some of its syntaxes to almost all programming languages.

• Programming in C for the first time seems to be a chore. There are many details about your Code that you need to keep track of. And C doesn’t even lend you much of a hand when programming. In C, there are no iterators, memory management is done manually, and handling strings correctly is akin to walking through a minefield with a hood over your head.

• C hands you the key to a wealth of libraries that are all accessible from C, even if they aren’t written in it. C has sort of established itself.

• C is flexible to system software development as well as application software development. If you will learn C as your first programming language it would be better. Because you will be familiar with various basic concepts that are used in programming language and the most important thing is, it will help you in building your analytical power as you can easily backtrack your program.

• There are the most overwhelming programming language in the world and all depend on C. So if you want to get a job in bigger companies where programming languages are made then you must learn C language.

• To match the expectation of the video game player, the game has to respond fast to the user inputs. In this situation, C language scores over other languages. Many popular gaming frameworks, for instance, DirectX and gaming engine like Allegro have been built in C language.

• C is the best choice of programmers as c provides several elements that make this interaction feasible without compromising performance.

• At times, one is required to very closely interact with the hardware devices - then C becomes the first choice.

• C language is designed from the bottom to top to be a block-structured language. Many older languages, most popular being BASIC tried to introduce this concept but they were not able to gain as much value in front of programmer or industry because of limitations in their functions.

 

And the last thing is for sure that there is no other language which has more reliable, simple and easy to use than C language. So, we think we have pointed out most of the reason in this article why C should be your first programming language.

If you find any other reason, then share your valuable experience with us in the comment section.

Thank you!