Skip to content

C

C is a powerful, low-level programming language that is widely used in various domains, particularly where performance and direct hardware control are crucial.

  • System Programming
    • Examples: Operating systems, device drivers, and system utilities.
    • Details: C is used to develop operating systems like Linux, Windows, and macOS. It is also used for writing device drivers that interact directly with hardware, such as network or graphics card drivers.
  • Embedded Systems
    • Examples: Microcontrollers, automotive software, and IoT devices.
    • Details: C is used to program embedded systems that control hardware devices like washing machines, medical devices, and industrial machines. It's commonly used in automotive software for engine control units (ECUs) and other vehicle systems.
  • Game Development
    • Examples: Game engines, graphics rendering, and real-time simulations.
    • Details: C is used in the development of game engines like Unreal Engine, which require high performance and low-level access to memory. It’s also used in creating real-time simulations and graphics rendering.
  • High-Performance Computing
    • Examples: Supercomputers, scientific simulations, and large-scale computations.
    • Details: C is used in applications requiring high performance and efficiency, such as climate modeling, molecular dynamics, and simulations of physical phenomena. Scientific libraries like BLAS and LAPACK, used for linear algebra operations, are written in C.
  • Compilers and Interpreters
    • Examples: GCC (GNU Compiler Collection), LLVM.
    • Details: C is commonly used to write compilers and interpreters for other programming languages, including itself. GCC, one of the most widely used C compilers, is written in C.
  • Networking
    • Examples: Network protocols, routers, and network utilities.
    • Details: C is used to implement network protocols (like TCP/IP), network servers, and other networking software. Routers and switches often run on software written in C due to its efficiency and speed.
  • Databases
    • Examples: MySQL, SQLite, PostgreSQL.
    • Details: C is used in the development of database management systems (DBMS) that require high performance and reliability. MySQL and PostgreSQL, two of the most popular databases, are written in C.
  • Operating System Components
    • Examples: File systems, kernel modules, and system libraries.
    • Details: C is used for developing critical components of operating systems, such as file systems that manage how data is stored and retrieved, and kernel modules that extend the functionality of the operating system.
  • Embedded Firmware
    • Examples: BIOS, UEFI firmware, and hardware control software.
    • Details: C is used to write the firmware that controls the basic functions of hardware devices, such as the BIOS/UEFI in computers, which initializes hardware during the boot process. -. Cross-Platform Software
    • Examples: Portable software libraries, cross-platform applications.
    • Details: C is often used to develop software that needs to run on multiple operating systems. Libraries like GTK (used in GNOME) and applications like VLC media player are written in C to ensure compatibility across different platforms. -. Real-Time Systems
    • Examples: Aerospace software, telecommunications, and robotics.
    • Details: C is used in real-time systems where timing is critical, such as flight control software, telecommunications switching systems, and robotic control systems.

So you can see that C is used almost everywhere. If you are using a library, part of it will always will be in C.

Here are some live repos you can see which uses C:

You got the point! It is almost everywhere.