Differences between C and C++:

What is C?

C is a structural or procedural oriented programming language which is machine-independent and extensively used in various applications.

C is the basic programming language that can be used to develop from the operating systems (like Windows) to complex programs like Oracle database, Git, Python interpreter, and many more. C programming language can be called a god's programming language as it forms the base for other programming languages. If we know the C language, then we can easily learn other programming languages. C language was developed by the great computer scientist Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Laboratories. It contains some additional features that make it unique from other programming languages.

What is C++?

C++ is a special-purpose programming language developed by Bjarne Stroustrup at Bell Labs circa 1980. C++ language is very similar to C language, and it is so compatible with C that it can run 99% of C programs without changing any source of code though C++ is an object-oriented programming language, so it is safer and well-structured programming language than C.

The following are the differences between C and C++:

1. Paradigm:

a. C: C is a procedural programming language. It is primarily centered around functions and structured programming.

b. C++: C++ is a multi-paradigm language. It supports procedural, object-oriented, generic, and functional programming paradigms. This means you can write code using classes, objects, and inheritance (OOP), or you can use C-like procedural programming constructs.

2. Object-Oriented Programming (OOP):

a. C: C does not have native support for OOP concepts like classes, objects, and inheritance.

b. C++: C++ introduces classes, objects, and inheritance, allowing you to write code in an object-oriented manner. This is a significant difference and one of the main reasons for the "++" in C++.

3. Encapsulation:

a. C: C does not provide built-in support for encapsulation. All data members in C structures are public by default.

b.C++: C++ allows you to define the visibility of class members (public, private, protected), enabling encapsulation and information hiding.

4. Inheritance:

a. C:C doesn't support inheritance as it lacks the concept of classes and objects.

b. C++: C++ supports inheritance, allowing you to create new classes (derived or subclass) based on existing classes (base or superclass).

5. Polymorphism:

a. C: C doesn't support polymorphism.

b. C++: C++ supports polymorphism through features like function overloading and virtual functions. This enables more flexible and extensible code.

6. Function Overloading:

a. C: C does not support function overloading, which means you cannot have multiple functions with the same name but different parameters.

b. C++: C++ allows you to overload functions, making it easier to create versatile APIs.

7. Operator Overloading:

a. C: C does not support operator overloading.

b. C++: C++ allows you to define custom behaviors for operators when working with user-defined types.

8. Standard Template Library (STL):

a. C: C does not have an equivalent to the STL, which provides pre-built data structures and algorithms.

b. C++: C++ includes the STL, simplifying common programming tasks with containers (e.g., vectors, lists) and algorithms (e.g., sorting, searching).

9. Memory Management:

a. C: C relies on manual memory management through functions like malloc and free.

b. C++: C++ introduces smart pointers (e.g., std::shared_ptr, std::unique_ptr) and automatic memory management through constructors and destructors.

10. Function Prototypes:

a. C: In C, function prototypes are typically included in header files.

b. C++: In C++, header files often contain both class declarations and function prototypes.

11. Compatibility:

a. C: C++ is mostly compatible with C, meaning you can include C code in a C++ program, but not all C++ features are available in C.

b. C++: C++ code can call C functions directly, making it easier to integrate C libraries.

12. Philosophy:

a. C: C follows the "do-it-yourself" philosophy, giving you complete control and responsibility for memory management and data structures.

b. C++: C++ provides higher-level abstractions and aims to promote code reuse, modularity, and safer programming practices.

Let's summarize the above differences in a tabular form.

• No.	C	C++
  1)	C follows the procedural style programming.	C++ is multi-paradigm. It supports both procedural and object oriented.
  2)	Data is less secured in C.	In C++, you can use modifiers for class members to make it inaccessible for outside users.
  3)	C follows the top-down approach.	C++ follows the bottom-up approach.
  4)	C does not support function overloading.	C++ supports function overloading.
  5)	In C, you can't use functions in structure.	In C++, you can use functions in structure.
  6)	C does not support reference variables.	C++ supports reference variables.
  7)	In C, scanf() and printf() are mainly used for input/output.	C++ mainly uses stream cin and cout to perform input and output operations.
  8)	Operator overloading is not possible in C.	Operator overloading is possible in C++.
  9)	C programs are divided into procedures and modules	C++ programs are divided into functions and classes.
  10)	C does not provide the feature of namespace.	C++ supports the feature of namespace.
  11)	Exception handling is not easy in C. It has to perform using other functions.	C++ provides exception handling using Try and Catch block.
  12)	C does not support the inheritance.	C++ supports inheritance.