Difference Between C and C++

Atul Harsha
Senio r Manager Co ntent

Updated on Dec 22, 2023 13:00 IST

C focuses on procedural programming. It's about following specific steps or
instructions. This involves using functions and structured techniques. Essentially, C
revolves around functions and the order of program operations.

C++, in contrast, expands on C. It introduces object-oriented programming. This

method uses classes and objects. These elements group related functions and data.
This approach simplifies complex software design, understanding, and maintenance.
The main difference between C and C++ is their approach. C is driven by functions
and their execution sequence. C++, however, is based on OOP. It focuses on
classes, objects and their interactions. This makes it more suited for handling
complex software systems.

The most important point of difference between C and C++ language is that C is
procedural-oriented programming, and C++ is based on object-oriented

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programming methods.

Table of Content

Key Difference Between C and C++

Similarities Between C and C++

What is C Programming Language?

Features of C Programming

Applications of C Programming

Disadvantages of C Programming

What is C++ Programming Language?

Features of C++

Applications of C++

Disadvantages of C++

Latest Development in C and C++ [updated Dec, 2023]

Google T rends Comparison - C vs C++

C vs C++ which one should you learn first in 2024 and Why?

Key Dif f erence Between C and C++ Language

C++ supports classes, which are a type of object that can be used to group data and
methods. C does not support classes.

C++ supports inheritance, which allows one class to inherit the properties of another
class. C does not support inheritance.

C++ supports polymorphism, which allows objects of dif f erent types to be treated
similarly. C does not support polymorphism.

C++ is a compiled language, while C is an interpreted language. T his means that C++ code
is converted into machine code bef ore it is executed, while C code is interpreted line by
line.

C++ is a more complex language than C. T his is because C++ has more f eatures, such as

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 classes, inheritance, and polymorphism.

Let’s understand this in detail.

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 C C++

C was developed in 1972 by Dennis Ritchie at C++ was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup
Bell Laboratories. of Bell Laboratories in the early 1980s.

It is a f unction-driven language. It is an object-driven language.

C++ is both a procedural and an object-

C is a Procedural Oriented language. It does
oriented programming language. It
not support object-oriented programming
supports OOP f eatures such as
(OOP) f eatures such as polymorphism,
polymorphism, encapsulation, and
encapsulation, and inheritance programming.
inheritance.

C is a subset of C++. C++ is a superset of C.

C has 32 keywords. C++ has 63 keywords.

Supports both built-in and user-def ined

Supports built-in data types
data types

T he f ile extension of a program in C T he f ile extension of a C++ program is

language is .c. .cpp.

Does not have access modif iers. Has access modif iers.

C uses <stdio.h> header f ile f or input/output C++ uses <iostream.h> header f ile f or
operations. input/output operations.

Data is secured and hidden by

No support f or inf ormation hiding.
Encapsulation.

C f ocuses on the method or process rather C++ f ocuses on data rather than method
than data. or procedure.

No direct support f or exception handling. Supports exception handling.

C uses scanf () and printf () f unctions f or

C++ uses cin and cout f or input/output.
input/output.

Does not support f unction and operator Supports f unction and operator
overloading. overloading.

T he main() f unction can be called through Does not allow the main() f unction to be
other f unctions used in the code. called through other f unctions.

Does not support any ref erence variables. Supports ref erence variables.

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Similarities Between C & C++

Some of the similarities in C and C++ programming languages are:

Syntax: C++ is an extended version of C, theref ore both have similar syntax, compilation
and code structure.

Keywords: Most of C’s keywords and operators are used in C++ and perf orm the same
f unction.

Execution: C and C++ both f ollow top-down execution of the code.

Comment: Inline Comment in both C and C++ is marked by //.

Multi-Dimensional Array: Both C and C++ support multi-dimensional arrays.

Dynamic size Array: None of them support dynamic sized arrays.

Statement T erminator: Both C and C++ uses semi-colon (;) f or terminating a statement.

Preprocessor Directive: #include is used in both C and C++ to include/import a header

f ile.

Preparing for a C++ interview? Check out the Top C++ Interview Questions and Answers

What is C Programming Language?

C programming is a structural or procedural-oriented programming language

developed by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Laboratories in 1972. In fact, C programming
language was originally developed to migrate the UNIX kernel code from assembly
to a higher-level language that could do the same functions with fewer lines of
code.

Check out the best C Programming Courses

C is considered a middle-level programming language because it has the features of

low-level language as well as high-level Language. It is one of the foundational
languages for beginners or new programmers as it forms the base for other
programming languages.

Also Read – Understanding Operators in C++

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Features of C Programming

Listed below are some of the key features of C programming –

Procedural programming language: C is designed to be easy to read and understand.

It f ollows a logical structure that makes it easy to write and debug code.

Structured language: C has a clear and concise syntax and f ollows a logical structure.
For example, C uses curly braces to def ine blocks of code and semicolons to mark the
end of statements.

Portable: C programs can be adapted to run on dif f erent platf orms and hardware
architectures. T his makes it ideal f or building sof tware that needs to be run on a variety
of dif f erent systems. For example, C programs can be compiled and run on Windows,
Linux, and macOS.

Low-level access: C gives programmers direct access to the hardware and operating
system. T his makes it ideal f or writing code that needs to interact with the underlying
system or perf orm tasks that require a high degree of control. For example, C can be
used to write device drivers or system utilities that need to access the hardware directly.

Efficient and fast: C is Well-suited f or tasks that require a lot of processing power or
that need to be completed quickly. T his is because C is a compiled language, which
means that it is converted into machine code bef ore it is executed, making it f aster than
interpreted languages.

ANSI standard: C has been f ormally standardized by a recognized industry

organization. T his ensures that C programs are consistent and portable across
dif f erent systems. For example, ANSI C programs can be compiled and run on any
system that supports the ANSI C standard.

Large and active community of developers: T here are many resources available f or
learning and using the language. For example, there are numerous online f orums,
tutorials, and documentation resources available f or C programmers.

Supports Dynamic Memory Allocation: C supports dynamic memory allocation, which

means that you can allocate memory f or variables and data structures at runtime. T his
makes it easier to manage memory usage in large programs.

Supports pointers for direct memory interaction: C supports pointers, which are
variables that store the memory addresses of other variables. Pointers can be used to
directly interact with memory and can be usef ul f or optimizing code and accessing low-

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 level hardware.

Applications of C Programming
Operating System like UNIX, Microsoft Windows, are created in C.

Mac OS X kernel was originally written in C.

Majority of Adobe sof tware like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Premier
are built using C, C++.

Build code compilers such as MinGW, Dev-C, Clang C.

Web Browsers like Mozilla, and Chrome, is designed using C programming.

Games like T ic-T ac-T oe, Snake, Half-Life, Starcraft in built using C programming. In
2004, a high graphics FPS game Doom 3 was built using C f or Windows.

Apple’s Xcode IDE is written in C, C++, Objective-C and Objective-C++.

T he assembly language code of UNIX operating system’s was rewritten in C in 1972.

Oracle database rewrote their assembly codes to C in 1983.

In 1985, when Windows 1.0 was released, its kernel was primarily written in C and
assembly.

Several embedded systems like alarm clock, microwave, tv, remote controlled devices,
etc are mostly built using C, embedded C.

Disadvantages of C Programming

Does not support Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) f eatures such as Polymorphism,

Inheritance, and Encapsulation.

T he bugs are not detected af ter each line of code, instead it is detected af ter writing the
entire program. T his makes debugging in C dif f icult f or complex programs.

C does not support the concept of namespace, due to which two variables cannot be
declared with same name.

C does not Exception Handling which in other languages are used to detect the bugs and
generate appropriate responses.

C language has low level of abstraction. Due to this C has minimum data hiding and this
af f ects the overall security of the language.

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Learn more: Basics of C Programming Language

What is Coding: Dif f erence Bet ween Coding And…

Programming
This blo g explains what is co ding. It also co vers the difference between co ding
and pro gramming.

All About While Loop in C

In a pro gramming language, lo o ps are used to repeat a specific piece o f co de.
Lo o ps in C are classified into three types, such as Fo r lo o p, While lo o p, and
Do …while...re ad m o re

Top 80+ C Programming Int erview Quest ions and…

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Here’s a list o f 8 0 + to p frequently asked C pro gramming interview questio ns
and answers to help yo u crack yo ur next interview. Preparing fo r a C pro gramming interview? Here are
the...re ad m o re

What is C++ Programming Language?

C++ is a high-level computer programming language created in the early 1980s by

Bjarne Stroustrup of Bell Laboratories. It is an extension of the traditional C
language with added support for object-oriented programming and other
capabilities.

C++ is close to low-level languages and is considered one of the fastest

programming languages. It provides complete control over memory allocation and
management. C++ is used to develop complex and high-performance applications.
C++ is close to C# and Java, making it easier for programmers to switch to learning
and working with these languages.

Related Read – Binary Search in C++

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Features of C++
Object-oriented programming: C++ supports object-oriented programming (OOP)
concepts such as inheritance, polymorphism, and encapsulation, which makes it easier
to develop large, complex sof tware systems.

T emplates: C++ supports templates, which are reusable code blocks that can be used
to create generic f unctions and data types.

Exception handling: C++ has built-in support f or exception handling, which allows you
to catch and handle errors and exceptions that occur during program execution.

Function overloading: C++ allows you to create multiple f unctions with the same name
but with dif f erent parameters, a technique known as f unction overloading.

Operator overloading: C++ allows you to overload operators, which means that you
can def ine how operators behave when used with dif f erent data types.

Namespaces: C++ supports namespaces, which are used to organize code and prevent
name collisions.

Standard T emplate Library (ST L): C++ includes the Standard T emplate Library (ST L),
which is a collection of templates and algorithms that can be used to implement common
data structures and algorithms.

Compatibility with C: C++ is f ully compatible with C, which means that you can use C
libraries and code in your C++ programs. T his makes it easy to incorporate existing C
code into C++ projects.

Also Explore: C++ Online Courses & Certifications

Applications of C++
Google used C++ to create several products like Google Earth, and the Google Chrome
browser.

Spotify one of the most popular audio streaming apps has its back end written in C++.

Operating Systems like Windows, Mac, and Linux are built using C++.

Mozilla Firefox used a subset of C++ (C++14) to build Mozilla 59.

Microsoft products such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are written in both C and C++.

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 One of the most powerf ul databases MySQL is written in both C and C++.

At Microsoft code written f or the – DirectX, Windows API, and .NET are all based on
C++.

Very popular games like Witcher 3, Counter-Strike, Doom III Engine, World of
Warcraft, King Quest, Football Pro and Invictus are all written in C++ .

A popular media player Winamp is developed using C++.

MongoDB a popular open-source NoSQL database is written using C++.

Unreal Engine f or most graphic-intensive 2D, 3D, VR, AR, cross-platf orm, single-player,
or multiplayer games primarily uses C++.

Pyt hon vs. C++ – What ’s t he Dif f erence?

Pytho n and C++ bo th are general-purpo se pro gramming languages. Ho wever,
their usage and syntax differ widely. In this article, we will highlight the mo st
pro minent differences between the two languages.

Pyt hon vs Java: Which is Bet t er t o Learn in 2024?

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but recent trends...re ad m o re

Int roduct ion t o Inherit ance in C++

In this blo g, we will explo re the co ncept o f inheritance in C++ and its access. We
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multiple inheritance, and...re ad m o re

Disadvantages of C++
For a beginner, C++ might be a relatively dif f icult language to learn and start with.

Manual memory management in C++ is a hassle, as there is no garbage collection to

automatically remove unwanted data.

If you’re used to automated memory management, managing memory allocation manually

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 can be a challenge.

Not very secure because of pointers, global variables, etc.

C++ does not support built-in code threads due to which the process is slower and
complicated.

T he pointers in C++ take up more than the required memory which might not be suitable
f or some devices.

Latest Update f rom C and C++ [updated Dec,23]

As of December 2023, the C programming language remains a significant force in

the world of programming. According to the TIOBE Index for December 2023, C is
ranked as the second most popular programming language with a rating of 11.44%.
This reflects a slight decline from its position earlier in the year, but it still
underscores the enduring relevance of C in various programming fields, particularly in
systems programming and embedded systems.

The C23 standard, the latest update to the C programming language released in
2023, introduces a range of new features and enhancements. These improvements
are designed to make the language more robust, efficient, and compatible with
modern programming needs. Here are some of the key updates:

C++23 Updat es:

C++23, the latest version of the C++ programming language, is set to replace the
current C++20 standard. This new update focuses on refining the language rather
than making major changes. Here's a simplified overview:
Garbage Collection Removed: C++23 will no longer support garbage collection, a
f eature that wasn't widely used.

Unicode for Identifiers: It will use the Unicode Standard Annex 31 f or naming
identif iers, making it clearer what characters can be used and excluding inappropriate
ones like emojis.

Multiple Attributes Allowed: You can now use standard attributes more than once in a

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 list, of f ering more f lexibility.

Whitespace Handling Improved: C++23 ensures consistent handling of spaces af ter

a backslash in the code.

Fixed Member Order in Classes: T he order of class members will be set based on
their declaration order, avoiding conf usion.

Simplified String Concatenation: T he update removes complex rules f or combining

dif f erent types of string literals.

New Features: T here are several new additions, such as the 'explicit object parameter',
enhanced preprocessor conditionals, and a multidimensional subscript operator.

Syntax Improvements for Better Readability: The ability to use labels before
declarations and other syntax improvements aligns C more closely with modern
programming practices, enhancing code clarity and maintainability.

C++ Compatibility: By making syntax changes that improve compatibility with

C++, C23 reduces the friction in using both languages together in a project. This
is particularly beneficial for projects that need to integrate C and C++
codebases.

Compiler support varies, but major compilers like GCC and Clang are already
incorporating many of these features .

C23 Proposals:

C23, the upcoming standard for the C language, is also evolving. Here are the main
areas of development:
Clearer Integer Definitions: T he new standard aims to have a unif ied way of
describing integer behaviour, such as overf low.

Unicode in Identifiers: Like C++, C23 intends to use the Unicode Standard Annex 31
f or def ining valid characters in identif iers.

Enhanced calloc Function: T here are plans to improve calloc to handle cases where
calculations may wrap around, enhancing security.

Safer Programming Practices: Annex K will be revised f or better saf ety in

programming, especially in multi-threaded environments.

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 Changes to volatile Usage: C23 is looking to deprecate certain uses of the volatile
keyword, aligning it with similar changes in C++.

These updates reflect a commitment to making the languages more user-friendly,

secure, and consistent with modern programming standards

Google Trends Comparison - C vs C++

Seeing the latest Google Trends of the last 5 years, the worldwide interest in both C
and C++ has shown a similar trend. But recently as of date 22nd December 2023 the
trend of C has surpassed C++. As per the trend, C Language is gaining more
popularity showcasing an increase in popularity and demand.

C vs C++ which one should I learn f irst in 2024 and Why?

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Deciding whether to learn C or C++ first in 2024 can depend on several factors,
including your career goals, the complexity of the language, and the type of projects
you're interested in. Here's an updated table incorporating some recommended
courses for each language:

Factors Learning C First Learning C++ First

Provides a strong base in Introduces object-oriented

Foundation
procedural programming. concepts early.

Simpler and more More complex due to advanced

Complexity
straightf orward. f eatures.

Ideal f or system programming Better f or application and game

Career Goals
and embedded systems. development.

Steeper due to object-oriented

Learning Curve Easier f or Beginners.
concepts.

T ransition to Eases understanding of other Makes transitioning to lower-

Other Languages languages, including C++. level concepts in C challenging.

Well-established, but more

Community and Large and active, with resources
f ocused on f oundational
Resources f or modern development.
aspects.

Remains relevant f or Continues to be widely relevant

Future
f oundational understanding and f or diverse sof tware
Relevance
specif ic niches. development.

C Programming For Beginners -

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Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (33,049 From Beginner to Beyond,
Rating: 4.6 out of 5 (65,711
ratings) 150,317 students -
Best Course ratings) 283,072 students
Bestseller on Udemy
Created by: T im Buchalka's
Created by: Tim Buchalka's Learn Programming Academy,
Learn Programming Academy, Dr. Frank Mitropoulos.
Jason Fedin.

Learning C First : It's recommended for those who are new to programming and want

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to start with the basics. C's simpler syntax and procedural nature make it easier to
grasp foundational programming concepts.

Learning C++ First : Suitable for individuals interested in diving directly into object-
oriented programming and working on complex software applications.

Each path has its unique advantages, and the choice ultimately depends on your
personal interests and career aspirations. Additionally, there are numerous high-
quality online courses available to help you start your journey in either language.
These courses range from beginner to advanced levels, offering a comprehensive
learning experience with practical projects and hands-on coding.

Explore: T op C Programming Courses

Explore: Highly Recommended C++ Courses

Conclusion

In conclusion, C and C++ are two very different programming languages that have
their own unique features and characteristics. The main difference between C and
C++ is that C is function-driven procedural language with no support for objects and
classes, whereas C++ is a combination of procedural and object-oriented
programming languages. Ultimately, the choice between C and C++ depends on the
specific needs and goals of your project, and it is important to carefully consider the
trade-offs between the two languages before making a decision. We hope this blog
helped you understand the features, applications, disadvantages, and differences
between C and C++ to decide which language is more suitable for your projects.

Recommended Reads:

Difference between Python and Java

Difference between JavaScript and Java

Difference between Jupyter Notebook and Python IDLE

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 Difference between C and Java

Difference between C and Python

Difference between C++ and Java

Difference between HT ML and CSS

Difference between Float and Double

FAQs

What is the dif f erence between C and C++?

Which programming language to learn f irst C or C++?

Is C still used in 2023?

Where are C and C++ used?

Should I learn Python or C?

Can C code be used in C++?

Can I learn C++ without C? Is C++ hard to learn?

Which is f aster C or C++?

What are the advantages of C over C++?

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What are the advantages of C++ over C?

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