Difference Between C and C++: Examples and Features

Last updated by Naina Batra on May 17, 2024 at 12:55 PM | Reading time: 8 minutes

What is "C"?

It is a machine-independent procedural or structural programming language that is widely utilized in various applications.

C is a basic programming language that may be used to create everything from operating systems like Windows to sophisticated applications like Git, Python interpreters, Oracle databases, and so on.

C programming serves as the foundation for several other programming languages. If a user is familiar with the C programming language, they can easily learn any other.

C Programming: Key Features

The C programming language was founded on the notion of procedural programming. This programming language has capabilities that make it useful for building programs that create operating systems, compilers, assemblers, drivers, and much more.
This section will show you the following useful core features/properties of the C programming language:

C is a procedural programming language that prioritizes steps above data. This makes it an excellent choice for general-purpose programming. This also reduces memory consumption and allows functions to communicate data via global variables.
This programming language requires manual management of garbage collection, memory leaks, and static variables, making it faster and cleaner than other languages that require more processing. This eventually makes C an extremely fast and efficient programming language.
C programs are highly portable and hardware-independent, requiring no modifications to operate on different machines.
C is the foundation for several modern computer languages, including C++ and Java, which are extensions of C. This language does not have notions such as OOPS and garbage collection.

What is C++?

It is a subset of the C language. C++ is an object-oriented programming language that was intended as an extension to the C language.

Thus in addition to the procedural language characteristics of C, C++ also supports object-oriented features. For example, polymorphism, inheritance, encapsulation, abstraction, and so on.

C++ is quite similar to C. This language is sufficiently compatible with C that it can run about 99% of C programs without requiring any source code changes. The C++ programming language is object-oriented.

C++ Programming: Key Features

In this section, you will see some essential features/properties of C++, as well as the distinction between C and C++:

The C++ programming language follows the Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) paradigm. OOP is a strategy for building a program in which the data and behavior interact with each other under the same cover, or encapsulated together.
The OOPs technique is built on specific notions that aid in its goal of overcoming the disadvantages or flaws of traditional programming approaches. The fundamental notions of OOPs are: Data Abstraction, Data encapsulation, Modularity Inheritance and Polymorphism.
C++'s structure allows for easy maintenance and manufacture. Modularity and polymorphism allow programs to be more readable. This also helps to narrow down the search for problems.
C++ allows users to reuse code. Encapsulation allows the class methods to be reused in other parts of the code. This also improves code readability by reducing code replication to almost nothing.

Differences Between C and C++

1) Definition

C is a structural language for programming that does not support classes or objects whereas C++ is an object-oriented programming language that does support them.
C is a structural programming language with line-by-line code checking whereas C++ is an object-oriented language with class and object support.

2) Subset

C++ is a superset of the C programming language. C++ can run 99% of C code whereas C cannot execute C++ code.

3) Type of Approach

C adopts a top-down strategy whereas C++ takes a bottom-up one. The top-down technique divides the main components into tasks, which are further divided into subtasks. The bottom-up approach begins with the lowest level modules and progresses to the next level modules.

4) Security

C allows outsiders to readily change data because it does not offer encapsulation or information hiding but C++ is a relatively secure language that supports both encapsulation and data hiding.

In C functions and data are free entities whereas in C++ all functions and data are wrapped in objects.

5) Function Overloading

Function overloading is an attribute that allows you to define many functions with the same name but different parameters. C does not support function overloading whereas C++ does.

6) Function Overriding

Function overriding is a feature that provides a specific implementation for a function that is already defined in the base class. C does not support function overriding whereas C++ does.

7) Reference variables

C does not support reference variables however, C++ does.

8) Keywords

C has 32 keywords while C++ supports 52 keywords.

9) Namespace feature

A namespace is a feature that organizes items such as classes, objects and functions under a specific name. C lacks the namespace feature but C++ supports the namespace feature, which avoids name clashes.

10) Exception handling

C does not provide direct exception-handling functionality; instead, it requires the usage of exception-handling-specific functions. C++ supports exception handling directly through the use of a try-catch block.

11) Input/output functions

In C, the scanf and printf functions are utilized for input and output operations respectively but in C++, cin and cout are implemented for input and output activities.

12) Memory Allocation and De-allocation

C provides calloc() and malloc() routines for memory allocation and free() for memory de-allocation. C++ has a new operator for memory allocation and a delete operator for memory de-allocation.

13) Inheritance

Inheritance is a feature that allows a child class to utilize the properties of its parent class. The C language does not support inheritance, but C++ does.

14) Header file

C programs utilize the header file, whereas C++ programs use the header file.

Here's a table summarizing the differences between C and C++:

No.	Feature	C	C++
1	Programming Paradigm	Procedural	Multi-paradigm (Procedural and Object-Oriented)
2	Data Security	Less secured	Supports modifiers for class members to enhance security
3	Programming Approach	Top-down	Bottom-up
4	Function Overloading	Not supported	Supported
5	Functions in Structure	Functions not allowed	Functions allowed
6	Reference Variables	Not supported	Supported
7	Input/Output	Mainly scanf() and printf()	Mainly cin and cout streams
8	Operator Overloading	Not supported	Supported
9	Program Organization	Procedures and modules	Functions and classes
10	Namespace	Not supported	Supported
11	Exception Handling	Not easy, requires additional functions	Supported using Try and Catch blocks

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C and C++ Examples

Here are some simple examples in both C and C++ to illustrate the differences:

C Examples:

1) Hello World Program in C:

1#include <stdio.h>
2int main() {
3    printf("Hello, world!\n");
4    return 0;
5}

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2) Using Functions in C:

1#include <stdio.h>
2// Function declaration
3int add(int a, int b)
4int main() { 
5    int num1 = 5, num2 = 10, sum; 
6    // Function call 
7    sum = add(num1, num2); 
8    printf("Sum: %d\n", sum); 
9    return 0;
10}
11// Function definition
12int add(int a, int b) { 
13    return a + b;
14}

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3) Using Structures in C:

#include <stdio.h>
//Structure declaration
struct Student {
    char name[50];
    int rollNumber;
    float marks;
};
int main() {
    // Structure initialization 
    struct Student s1 = {"John", 101, 85.5};
    printf("Name: %s, Roll Number: %d, Marks: %.2f\n", s1.name, s1.rollNumber, s1.marks);
    return 0;
}

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4) Dynamic Memory Allocation in C:

1#include <stdio.h>
2#include <stdlib.h>
3int main() {
4    int *ptr;
5    ptr = (int *)malloc(sizeof(int));
6    if (ptr == NULL) {
7        printf("Memory allocation failed\n");
8        return 1;
9    }
10    *ptr = 10;
11    printf("Value: %d\n", *ptr);
12    free(ptr);
13    return 0;
14}

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C++ Examples:

1) Hello World Program in C++:

1#include <iostream>
2int main() {
3    std::cout << "Hello, world!" << std::endl;
4    return 0;
5}

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2) Using Classes in C++:

1#include <iostream>
2// Class declaration
3class Rectangle{ 
4    private:
5    int length;
6    int width;
7    public:
8    // Constructor 
9    Rectangle(int l, int w) : length(l), width(w) {}
10    // Member function to calculate area 
11    int area() {
12        return length * width;
13    }
14};
15int main() {
16    Rectangle rect(5, 10); // Creating object 
17    std::cout << "Area: " << rect.area() << std::endl;
18    return 0;
19}

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3) Using Constructors and Destructors in C++:

1#include <iostream>
2using namespace std;
3// Class declaration
4class MyClass {
5    public:
6    // Constructor 
7    MyClass() {
8        cout << "Constructor called" << endl;
9    }
10    // Destructor 
11    MyClass() {
12        cout << "Destructor called" << endl;
13    }
14};
15int main() {
16    // Creating object 
17    MyClass obj;
18    return 0;
19}

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4) Using Inheritance in C++:

1#include <iostream>
2using namespace std
3// Base class
4class Shape {
5    public:
6    virtual void display() {
7        cout << "Shape" << endl;
8    }
9};
10// Derived class
11class Rectangle : public Shape {
12    public:
13    void display() override {
14        cout << "Rectangle" << endl;
15    }
16};
17int main() {
18    // Creating object of derived class 
19    Rectangle rect;
20    // Calling overridden function
21    rect.display();
22    return 0;
23}

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FAQs: Difference Between C and C++

What is the main difference between C and C++?

The main difference lies in their programming paradigms. C is a procedural programming language, while C++ supports both procedural and object-oriented programming.

Can you provide examples of procedural vs. object-oriented programming in C and C++?

In C, you organize code into functions and structures, focusing on procedures. In contrast, C++ allows you to define classes with methods and data, enabling you to encapsulate functionality and data together.

How does data security differ between C and C++?

In C, data security is often less robust because there are fewer mechanisms for access control. C++ offers more control over data access by allowing the use of access modifiers like public, private, and protected.

‍What are some features unique to C++ compared to C?

C++ introduces features like classes, inheritance, polymorphism, and operator overloading, which are not available in C. These features empower developers to write more modular and reusable code.

‍How does error handling differ between C and C++?

In C, error handling often involves manual checks and returning error codes from functions. C++ provides built-in exception-handling mechanisms, allowing developers to use try-catch blocks to manage exceptions more efficiently.

Can you give examples of differences in input/output operations between C and C++?

A6: In C, you typically use functions like scanf() and printf() for input/output. In C++, you have the option to use streams like cin and cout, which offer more flexibility and type safety.

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