Introduction to C Language
C is a procedural, compiled, and general-purpose programming language developed at AT & T’s Bell Laboratories of the USA in 1972.
Procedural programming language is a type of programming paradigm that organizes the code into a sequence of instructions to perform specific tasks. It focuses on procedures or functions that operate on data. The program is divided into smaller, manageable functions to solve problems. It generally follows a top-down design approach.
C language was designed and developed by American computer scientist named Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs. It is easier to learn at the basic level, but Java is easier for developing large and secure applications.
C supports both low-level features (such as pointers and direct memory access) and high-level features (such as functions and control structures). Therefore, it’s considered a middle-level language.
Introduction to Java Language
Java is a high-level, class-based, object-oriented, and general-purpose programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. Its development began in 1991.
The language was originally named Oak and was later renamed Java in 1995 due to trademark conflicts with Oak Technologies. Java was developed by James Gosling and his team. It was officially released in 1995.
Object-oriented programming language is a programming paradigm that organizes programs using objects, which contain both data and methods (functions). It is mainly based on four principles: encapsulation, abstraction, inheritance, and polymorphism.
Now, let’s understand the complete difference between C and Java language (C vs Java).
Difference Between C vs Java
1. Invention
- C was invented by Dennis M. Ritchie in 1972 at Bell Laboratories, USA.
- Java was developed by James Gosling and his team at Sun Microsystems in 1991, and it was officially released in 1995.
2. Types of Language
- C is a structural and procedural programming language.
- Java is a class-based, object-oriented programming language that organizes programs using classes and objects, which contain data and methods.
3. Language Level
- C is often called a middle-level programming language because it supports both low-level and high-level features.
- Java is a high-level programming language because the Java compiler first converts the source code into bytecode, and then the interpreter and the Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler inside the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) convert the bytecode into machine code.
4. Approach
- C language generally follows the top-down approach to design the application program.
- Java language follows the bottom-up approach to design the application program.
5. Translation
- C is a compiled language because its entire source code is directly converted into machine code by a compiler before execution.
- Java is both a compiled and interpreted programming language because the source code is first converted into bytecode by the compiler and then that bytecode is then executed by the JVM.
6. Platform Dependency
- C is platform-dependent or system-dependent because C program compiles into machine code specific to a platform.
- Java is platform-independent because its compiled bytecode can run on any system that has an installed Java Virtual Machine (JVM). This allows Java programs to follow the principle of “Write Once, Run Anywhere (WORA)”.
7. Keywords
- C language originally had 32 keywords in ANSI C, but modern C standards include more than 32 keywords.
- Java has 50 keywords.
8. OOPs Concepts
- C does not follow OOPs concepts mechanism.
- Java follows OOPs concepts mechanism.
9. File Extension
- Source code file is saved with the extension .c.
- In Java, the source code file is saved with the extension .java.
10. Secure
- C is less secure because it does not provide built-in security features like automatic memory management and runtime checks.
- Java is more secure because it provides features such as garbage collection, bytecode verification, exception handling, and JVM-based execution.
11. Overloading
- C does not support overloading functionality.
- Java supports method overloading concept that helps in code readability.
12. Pointers
- Pointer concept is supported by the C programming language.
- Java does not support pointers.
13. Call by Value and Call by Reference
- C supports both call by value and call by reference. Call by reference is implemented using pointers.
- Java supports only call by value.
14. Robust
- C is less robust because it does not provide automatic memory management, bounds checking, or strong runtime safety features.
- Java is more robust than C because it provides garbage collection, exception handling, type checking, and memory safety features.
15. Exception Handling
- Exception handling concept is not supported by C language.
- Java supports exception handling concept.
16. Inheritance
- There is no inheritance concept present in the C language.
- Java supports inheritance that helps in code reusability.
17. Threading
- C language does not have built-in threading support itself, but threading can be implemented using libraries such as POSIX threads (pthreads).
- Java language provides built-in multithreading support through the Thread class and Runnable interface.
18. Memory Management
- In C, memory management is done manually by the programmer using functions like malloc(), calloc(), realloc(), and free().
- In Java, memory management is automatic and handled by the Garbage Collector inside the JVM.
19. Preprocessors
- C language supports Preprocessors.
- Java does not support Preprocessors.
20. Union and Structure
- Union and structure data types are supported by C.
- Whereas Java does not support union and structure data types.
21. Storage Classes
- C supports the storage classes, such as auto, register, static and extern.
- Java technology does not support the storage classes in the same form.
22. Go-to Statements
- Go-to statements are supported by C language.
- Whereas Java does not supports go-to statements.
23. Applications
- C programming language is mainly used to develop system applications and firmware.
- Whereas Java programming language is mainly used to develop enterprise applications and web-based applications.
Conclusion: C vs Java
In this tutorial, we have explained the 23 vital differences between C and Java that you should know. C and Java are both powerful and widely used programming languages, but they differ fundamentally in their programming paradigm, features, and applications.
C is a procedural, compiled, and middle-level programming language that provides low-level memory access and high performance. It is mainly used for system programming, embedded systems, operating systems, and firmware where speed and hardware control are important.
Java, on the other hand, is a high-level, class-based, object-oriented programming language designed for portability, security, and reliability. It is mainly suitable for enterprise applications, web applications, Android development, and large-scale systems.
Another major difference is memory management and security. In C, memory management is manually handled by the programmer, which gives more control but increases the risk of errors.
In Java, memory management is automatic through garbage collection, making it more secure and easier to maintain. Java also supports object-oriented features such as inheritance, abstraction, polymorphism, and encapsulation, while C does not support these concepts directly.
We hope this tutorial has helped you understand all the key differences between C and Java. If you notice any errors or have suggestions, please contact our team via email. Your feedback is highly valuable to us.
