For a very long time, I was under the impression that C, C++, and C# were all the same. It was one of my good friends who happens to be a programmer who told me that all of them are significantly different from one another. I am bamboozled by this fact and want to discover more. I ran through some research of my own and came to realize that my friend was right all along.
So, I dug into the matter to learn more about the fundamental differences between C, C++, and C# programming languages. Therefore, in this article, I will share the knowledge that I have learned about C, C++, and C#.
C – An Overview
So, it all started with the programming language C way back in 1972, developed by a genius nerd named Dennis Ritchie. His vision was to create a modified version of Unix.
Which he did, apparently, and it was an instant hit among developers. People believe C is a low-level programming language, but I think it is a core language that has given birth to various programs.
C++ – An Overview
C++ is an upgrade of the language C, but a fantastic upgrade indeed! Published in 1985 by a Danish student named Bjarne Stroustrup, C++ has elevated the level of programming language.
I would say C++ is faster and more efficient than C, but experts believe it is still an intermediate-level programming language. However, C++ is much easier to learn, and you can do object-oriented programming easily.
C# – An Overview
When I saw C#, I didn’t even know it was pronounced as “C Sharp.” But it is true! So, C# is another upgrade to the original programming language C, and this time, experts do believe they have finally developed a high-level language.
Well, we do expect that from a team of Microsoft to build it. They did it in 2002, and we got a .NET framework, courtesy of C#.
Basic Difference C, C++, and C#
The best way to put it is that C gave birth to both C++ and C#. So, naturally, C++ is more advanced than C, subsequently, C# is more developed than C++. However, you may ask what makes C++ more advanced than C or the next relevant question. To answer that you need to know a little bit about object-based languages.
C follows a series of procedures; that is why it is often referred to as a ‘procedural‘ language. On the other hand, C++ needs a series of ‘class‘ or ‘commands ‘ to form an executable file. However, C++ also needs those procedures as well. Thus, C++ is called a ‘hybrid‘ language.
Now, C# is one step ahead of C++ and doesn’t need any executable file to run. You can say it is component-based and can work independently, as the codes C# uses are exchangeable. However, you can’t create standalone apps using C#.
Which One Should I Learn First?
Typically, I would suggest you follow the series in chronological order just like movies. But at the same time, if you are interested in learning programming languages and believe it is your future, you can skip C and learn C++ straight away. C# is a different path altogether. So, you can learn it individually as well.
