C is a statically typed, compiled, and general programming language that supports procedural, object-oriented and generic programming. The design goal is to provide high performance and control over hardware. It originated in the C language, extends features such as classes, objects, exception handling, and at the same time retains the efficiency of C. C is mainly used in game development (such as Unreal Engine), system and embedded development (operating system, database), high-performance computing (financial transactions, image processing) and tool development (compiler). Learning suggestions include: 1. Master the basics of C language first; 2. Learn object-oriented features; 3. Be familiar with the STL standard library; 4. Understand advanced features such as RAII and smart pointers; 5. Start practicing with a simple project.
C is a statically typed, compiled, and general programming language that supports procedural programming, object-oriented programming, and generic programming. Its design goal is to allow programmers to maintain control over the hardware while developing high-performance applications. Simply put, C is an extension of the C language , adding modern programming features such as classes, objects, and exception handling, while retaining the efficiency and flexibility of C.
What can it be used for?
C's biggest advantage lies in its performance and resource control capabilities, so it is widely used in scenarios where high-speed operation or direct interaction with hardware.
Game Development: Building a High-Performance Game Engine
Many large-scale games and game engines (such as Unreal Engine) are written in C. The reason is simple: the game requires extremely high performance , especially in graphics rendering, physical simulation and real-time interaction. C allows developers to carefully control memory allocation and thread management, which is crucial to ensure smooth game operation.
- Common engines: Unreal Engine, Ogre, Irrlicht
- Platform support: PC, host, and mobile terminal can use C to develop game core logic
If you plan to do underlying game development or want to understand in-depth how game engines work, C is a language that cannot be avoided.
System/embedded development: the preferred language close to hardware
Low-level systems such as operating systems, drivers, embedded devices (such as routers, smartwatches) are usually developed using C or C. Because in these scenarios:
- Need to operate the hardware directly
- Limited memory resources
- High requirements for execution efficiency
For example, some modules of Windows, Linux kernel, and database systems such as MySQL and PostgreSQL all use C (or C) extensively to achieve high-performance data processing and storage mechanisms.
High-performance computing and financial systems: speed determines success or failure
In the fields of high-frequency trading systems, scientific computing, image processing, etc., execution speed and stability are key indicators. C also has a place in these areas:
- Financial industry: Many trading systems are implemented in C because they can complete a large number of calculations and make decisions in a very short time.
- Graphics and image processing: OpenCV, OpenGL and other libraries are based on C and are suitable for developing tasks such as image recognition, video encoding, etc.
- Tool development: Many performance-sensitive tools (such as compilers and interpreters) are also often written in C.
Such projects are often extremely latency-sensitive, and C provides enough room for optimization.
Study suggestions: Start from the basics and gradually deepen
If you want to learn C, you can start from the following aspects:
- First master the basic syntax of C language , especially the concepts of pointers, arrays, and structures.
- Then learn object-oriented features: classes, inheritance, polymorphism, constructors, and destructors.
- Master STL (standard template library), including common containers and algorithms such as vector, map, and string.
- Understand advanced features such as RAII, smart pointers, and mobile semantics.
There are many free resources online, such as:
- LearnCPP
- There are also many Chinese tutorials on Bilibili that are more detailed
Don't want to make a complete game or system from the beginning, practice with small projects first, such as writing a simple calculator or file reading and writing program.
Basically that's it. C is not the fastest language (sometimes not as good as Rust) or the easiest language to learn (certainly more complicated than Python), but it finds a good balance between performance and control. If you pursue efficiency and like to control details, it is a good choice.
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