The main differences between C and C are programming paradigms, standard libraries, memory management, and compatibility. 1.C is a process-oriented language that depends on functions and procedures, while C supports object-oriented programming, allowing the definition of classes and objects, and provides inheritance, polymorphism and packaging. 2.C is richer than C. It includes STL (such as vector, map and sorting algorithms) in addition to C's basic functions, which simplifies the implementation of data structures and algorithms; 3.C manually manages memory using malloc/free. In addition to new/delete, C also introduces RAII mechanisms and smart pointers (such as unique_ptr, shared_ptr) to reduce memory leakage; 4.C is designed as a superset of C, which can compile most C code, but type checks are stricter and requires the problem of name adaptation. When mixed programming, extern "C" is required to ensure compatibility.

C and C are both widely used programming languages, but they serve different purposes and have distinct characteristics. While C is a procedural language focused on performance and simplicity, C builds upon C by adding support for object-oriented programming and more advanced features.

1. Programming Paradigm

The most fundamental difference lies in the programming paradigm each language support.

• C follows a procedural programming model , which means it focuses on functions and procedures that operate on data. Programs are typically structured as a series of steps or routines.
• C , on the other hand, supports object-oriented programming (OOP) . This allows developers to create classes and objects, enabling concepts like inheritance, polymorphism, and encapsulation.

For example, in C , you can define a class like this:

 class Car {
public:
    void start() { cout << "Car started"; }
};

In C, you'd achieve similar behavior using structs and functions, but without the built-in support for methods inside data structures.

2. Standard Library and Features

C comes with a much richer standard library compared to C.

• The C standard library provides basic functions such as input/output, string manipulation, and mathematical operations.
• The C standard library includes all of that plus additional components like the Standard Template Library (STL) — containers (like vector , map ), algorithms ( sort , find ), and iterators.

So while in C you might manage dynamic arrays manually using malloc and free , in C you can use std::vector which handles memory automatically.

3. Memory Management

Memory management is another key area where these two different.

• In C , you manually manage memory using functions like malloc , calloc , realloc , and free .
• In C , while you can still do manual memory management using new and delete , the language also introduces RAII (Resource Acquisition Is Initialization) , which helps automate resource handling through object lives.

Additionally, C supports smart points like std::unique_ptr and std::shared_ptr , making memory leaks less likely.

4. Compilation and Compatibility

C was designed as an extension of C, so C can compile most C code , but there are some exceptions.

• Some C features (like variable-length arrays) are not part of standard C .
• C has stricter type checking. For instance, assigning a void* pointer to another pointer type requires an explicit cast in C , whereas it's allowed implicitly in C.

Also, when mixing C and C code, you may need to use extern "C" in C to prevent name mangling and ensure compatibility.

These differences make C ideal for systems-level programming , like operating systems or embedded systems, where performance and control are critical. C , meanwhile, shines in applications that benefit from abstraction and modularity, such as game engines, large-scale software, and GUI-based programs.

Basically, if you want more control and minimal overhead, go with C. If you need better abstraction and modern language features, C is the way to go.

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