C vs Java: A Comprehensive Guide

Q: Is C or Java easier to learn?

Most experts agree that Java is easier to learn than C because it has a simpler and more intuitive syntax. Java is also a higher-level language, which means it abstracts away many of the low-level details that C requires.

Q: What is the difference between C++ and C#?

C++ and C# are both object-oriented languages, but they have some key differences. C++ is a compiled language, which means it runs faster and closer to the hardware, but it also requires more memory management and error handling. C# is an interpreted language, which means it runs slower but has more features and libraries, such as garbage collection and LINQ.

Q: What are the other resources and offers provided by The Knowledge Academy?

The Knowledge Academy takes global learning to new heights, offering over 30,000 online courses across 490+ locations in 220 countries. This expansive reach ensures accessibility and convenience for learners worldwide. Alongside our diverse Online Course Catalogue, encompassing 17 major categories, we go the extra mile by providing a plethora of free educational Online Resources like News updates, Blogs, videos, webinars, and interview questions. Tailoring learning experiences further, professionals can maximise value with customisable Course Bundles of TKA.

Q: What is Knowledge Pass, and how does it work?

The Knowledge Academy’s Knowledge Pass, a prepaid voucher, adds another layer of flexibility, allowing course bookings over a 12-month period. Join us on a journey where education knows no bounds.

Q: What are related courses and blogs provided by The Knowledge Academy?

The Knowledge Academy offers various Java Courses, including Java Programming, Hibernate Training and Introduction to Java EE Course. These courses cater to different skill levels, providing comprehensive insights into Latest Java Technologies Trends. Our Programming and DevOps blogs cover a range of topics related to Java Programming, offering valuable resources, best practices, and industry insights. Whether you are a beginner or looking to advance your Java Programming skills, The Knowledge Academy's diverse courses and informative blogs have you covered.

Sophia Ellis 11 April 2023

Programming Languages C and Java are both widely used, but they have some different features that make them suitable for different purposes. In this blog, we will compare C vs Java in terms of their features, such as syntax and data types. We will also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each language, such as speed, security, and compatibility.

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C vs Java: A Comprehensive Guide

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C vs Java is a battle of Programming Languages that have existed for a long time. C is a low-level language that influenced many others, such as C++, C#, and Python. Java is a high-level language that is easier to use than C. Choosing the better option depends on the context and the goal. They have many similarities and differences that make them suitable for different applications and domains.

The C language was released in the 1970s and Java in the 1990s, of which C is a foundational language and Java is a more modern, in-demand language. Both these languages are ranked amongst the top 11 most used languages in the world, according to a survey by Statista as of late 2023. Now, C and Java were both created as Programming Languages and have different features to offer us. Let's compare C vs Java and find the key differences in this blog.

Table of Contents

1) Introduction to C

a) Features of C

b) Pros and cons of C

2) Introduction to Java

3) C vs Java: How are they different?

4) C vs java: What's the final judgement?

5) Conclusion

Introduction to C

C is a Programming Language that was created by Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Laboratories in 1972. It is a general-purpose, procedural, portable, and efficient language that can be used for various applications, such as Operating Systems, databases, compilers, and embedded systems. C is also the basis for many other popular languages, such as Java, Python, C++, and C#.

Features of C

Some of the main features of C are:

Features of C

a) It has a simple and clean syntax that makes it easy to learn and understand.

b) It provides direct access to memory and hardware, which allows Programmers to manipulate bits, bytes, and addresses.

c) It supports modularity, which means that complex problems can be divided into smaller functions or modules that can be reused and tested separately.

d) It has a rich set of built-in operators and functions that can perform various operations on data types, such as arithmetic, logical, bitwise, and relational.

e) It has the ability to extend itself by adding new functions and libraries to the C standard library.

f) It is a middle-level language, which means that it can support both high-level and low-level programming features.

g) It is fast and efficient, as it uses fewer instructions and produces compact and optimised code.

Pros and cons of C

Some of the advantages and disadvantages of C are:

Advantages:

a) C is a widely used and versatile language that can be applied to many domains and platforms.

b) C is a powerful and flexible language that gives Programmers more control over program execution and performance.

c) C is a portable language that can run on different machines and Operating Systems with little or no modification.

d) C is a base for many other languages, which means that learning C can help Programmers learn and use other languages easily.

e) C is a structured and modular language that makes the code more organised, readable, and maintainable.

Disadvantages:

a) C does not support Object-oriented Programming, which is a modern paradigm that focuses on data abstraction, encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism.

b) C does not have run-time checking, which means that errors and bugs can only be detected. C does not have run-time checking, which means that errors and bugs can only be detected at compile time or during execution.

c) C does not have the concept of namespace, which means that there can be conflicts and collisions between global variables and functions with the same name.

d) C does not have exception handling, which means that there is no mechanism to handle errors and exceptions gracefully and recover from them.

e) C does not have constructors or destructors, which means that there is no automatic initialisation or cleanup of objects and resources.

Introduction to Java

Java is a Programming Language that was developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems (now part of Oracle Corporation) in 1995. It is a general-purpose, object-oriented, and platform-independent language that is widely used for developing a variety of applications, ranging from mobile and web applications to large-scale enterprise systems.

Features of Java

Some of the main features of Java are:

a) Java is fundamentally Object-Oriented, focusing on data (objects) and methods (functions) and supports concepts like inheritance, encapsulation, and polymorphism.

b) Java applications are typically compiled to bytecode, which can run on any Java Virtual Machine (JVM), regardless of the underlying computer architecture.

c) Java has a syntax that is similar to C++, but it is simpler and more streamlined, with fewer low-level facilities.

d) Java provides strong memory management and garbage collection mechanisms, and its environment includes security features to prevent various types of attacks.

e) Java supports multithreading, allowing multiple threads of execution to run concurrently, enhancing the performance of applications.

f) Java has a comprehensive standard library that provides a rich set of utilities and tools for various tasks, including networking, database connectivity, and User Interface development.

g) With the advent of Just-In-Time (JIT) compilers and improved JVMs, Java's performance has become highly competitive.

Pros and cons of Java

Some of the advantages and disadvantages of Java are:

Advantages:

a) Java is used in various domains, including web development, mobile development (especially Android), and large-scale enterprise applications.

b) Java's "Write Once, Run Anywhere" (WORA) capability makes it an ideal choice for cross-platform applications.

c) Java has a large developer community and a wide range of frameworks and tools, which facilitates development and problem-solving.

d) It encourages cleaner, more modular code, making it easier to organise and maintain.

e) Its strong typing and managed runtime make it a good language for beginners to learn programming concepts.

Disadvantages:

a) The JVM and garbage collection can introduce performance overhead compared to natively compiled languages like C or C++.

b) Java applications tend to consume more memory compared to languages like C or C++, primarily due to the JVM and object overheads.

c) Java is often criticised for its verbose syntax, requiring more lines of code to accomplish tasks that might take fewer lines in other languages.

d) Being a high-level language, Java offers less control over hardware aspects compared to languages like C or C++.

e) Java applications can have slower startup times due to the JVM startup and the time taken to load classes, and JIT compiles parts of the code.

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C vs Java: How are they different?

Here is the table that compares various aspects of C and Java Programming Languages, highlighting their fundamental differences in design, execution, and application.

Aspect	C Language	Java Language
Year Developed	1972	1995
Programming Paradigm	Procedural programming: linear step-by-step data processing.	Object-Oriented Programming: structured around objects with characteristics and parameters.
Level of Abstraction	Low-level: closer to machine code.	High-level: more abstract, closer to human language.
Runtime Efficiency	More efficient at runtime due to closeness to hardware.	Less efficient due to higher level of abstraction from hardware.
Compilation and Execution	Compiled language, faster and allows lower-level control like automatic memory management.	Semi-interpreted language, interprets each line of code during execution.
Compiler Examples	Borland Turbo C, Intel C++ Compiler, Microsoft Visual C++, etc.	Uses the ‘javac’ command for compilation.
Memory Management	Manual memory management using calls like ‘free’ and ‘malloc’.	Automatic memory management using a garbage collector.
Performance	Typically runs faster than Java.	Tends to run slower compared to C.
Security	Lower level of security.	Higher security due to its architecture and runtime environment.
Exception Handling	Does not offer Exception Handling.	Provides Exception Handling using ‘try’, ‘catch’, and ‘finally’ keywords.
Program Flow	Top-to-bottom flow.	Bottom-to-top flow.
Platform Interoperability	Lacks interoperability across multiple platforms.	Platform-independent, operable across various platforms.
Robustness	Less robust due to lack of strong memory management.	More robust due to automatic memory management by Garbage Collector.

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Syntax differences between C and Java

Syntax is the set of rules that define how a Programming Language is written and structured. Different languages have different syntax, which means that they use different symbols, keywords, and formats to express the same logic or functionality. Here is the table that provides a concise comparison of various programming aspects in C and Java, highlighting their syntax and usage differences.

Programming Aspect	Comments	C	Java
Data Types	C has primitive data types such as int, char, float, double, etc. Java has primitive data types such as byte, short, int, long, char, float, double, boolean, etc.	int x = 10; char c = ‘a’;	int x = 10; char c = ‘a’;
Variables	C has global, local, and static variables. Java has instance, local, and static variables.	int x; // global variable void foo() { int y; // local variable static int z; // static variable }	class Foo { int x; // instance variable static int y; // static variable void bar() { int z; // local variable } }
Operators	C and Java have similar operators such as arithmetic, relational, logical, bitwise, etc. However, C has some operators that Java does not have, such as pointer (* and &), increment/decrement (++, --), assignment (=, +=, -=, etc.), comma (,), conditional (?:), and sizeof.	int x = 10; int *p = &x; // pointer int y = x++; // increment int z = x + y; // arithmetic int a = (x > y) ? x : y; // conditional int b = sizeof(int); // sizeof	int x = 10; // no pointer int y = x++; // increment int z = x + y; // arithmetic int a = (x > y) ? x : y; // conditional // no sizeof
Control Structures	C and Java have similar control structures such as if, else, switch, for, while, do-while, break, continue, etc. However, Java has some control structures that C does not have, such as for-each, switch-expression, and labeled break/continue.	if (x > y) { printf(“x is greater”); } else { printf(“y is greater”); } switch (x) { case 1: printf(“one”); break; case 2: printf(“two”); break; default: printf(“other”); break; } for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) { printf(“%d”, i); } while (x > 0) { x–; } do { y++; } while (y < 0);	if (x > y) { System.out.println(“x is greater”); } else { System.out.println(“y is greater”); } switch (x) { case 1 -> System.out.println(“one”); case 2 -> System.out.println(“two”); default -> System.out.println(“other”); } for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) { System.out.println(i); } for (int num : arr) { System.out.println(num); } // for-each while (x > 0) { x–; } do { y++; } while (y < 0); outer: for (int i = 0; i < m; i++) { for (int j = 0; j < n; j++) { if (i == j) { break outer; } // labeled break } }
Functions	C has functions that can be defined outside of a class. Java has methods that can only be defined inside of a class. C has function overloading, but not overriding. Java has both method overloading and overriding.	int add(int x, int y) { return x + y; } double add(double x, double y) { return x + y; } // function overloading	class Foo { int add(int x, int y) { return x + y; } double add(double x, double y) { return x + y; } // method overloading } class Bar extends Foo { int add(int x, int y) { return x - y; } // method overriding }
Classes	C does not have classes, as it is not an object-oriented language. Java has classes, as it is an object-oriented language. Java supports inheritance, polymorphism, abstraction, and encapsulation.	// no classes	class Foo { private int x; // encapsulation public Foo(int x) { this.x = x; } // constructor public int getX() { return x; } // getter public void setX(int x) { this.x = x; } // setter } class Bar extends Foo { // inheritance public Bar(int x) { super(x); } public void showX() { System.out.println(getX()); } // polymorphism }

C vs Java: What’s the final judgement?

Both the languages have proven their mettle so far, and now it’s the moment of truth. Does one language shine brighter than the other, or is it more like the idea of Yin and Yang? Well, the C language has the upper hand in being the foundation of computer systems and puts learner on a more tedious path towards developing their own applications or delving into the depths of the system’s kernel.

On the other hand, if you wish to experience a more approachable language with a faster pace of learning, you can opt for Java. Moreover, in today’s new-age, users prefer ease and speed of learning, along with a wide variety of job listings in the market for Java programmers. These advantages put the Java language in the limelight and still provide enthusiasts with a good perspective on the tech-market and the needs of companies.

The most important decision is always to start somewhere and pave your own path onwards. Another essential characteristic of any developer is the ability to adapt to change, which begins with a robust foundation in the language. This foundation involves understanding the concepts, logic, and using your own creativity to solve problems and explore possibilities.

If you are second-guessing your decision to learn Java and are contemplating taking the “tedious” path out of guilt, let us remind you that the easier way is still a good way! Effort is an important element in your programming journey that you shouldn't slack on, regardless of the language.

Conclusion

So how did you enjoy the ‘C vs Java’ faceoff? Which language impressed you more? As mentioned before, the smartest choice is to always begin somewhere, so that you get a head start. Java may have risen up the charts as one of the easiest languages for learning development, though C will always be a pioneer for laying a great foundation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is C or Java easier to learn?

Most experts agree that Java is easier to learn than C because it has a simpler and more intuitive syntax. Java is also a higher-level language, which means it abstracts away many of the low-level details that C requires.

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

C++ and C# are both object-oriented languages, but they have some key differences. C++ is a compiled language, which means it runs faster and closer to the hardware, but it also requires more memory management and error handling. C# is an interpreted language, which means it runs slower but has more features and libraries, such as garbage collection and LINQ.

What are the other resources and offers provided by The Knowledge Academy?

The Knowledge Academy takes global learning to new heights, offering over 30,000 online courses across 490+ locations in 220 countries. This expansive reach ensures accessibility and convenience for learners worldwide.

Alongside our diverse Online Course Catalogue, encompassing 17 major categories, we go the extra mile by providing a plethora of free educational Online Resources like News updates, Blogs, videos, webinars, and interview questions. Tailoring learning experiences further, professionals can maximise value with customisable Course Bundles of TKA.

What is Knowledge Pass, and how does it work?

The Knowledge Academy’s Knowledge Pass, a prepaid voucher, adds another layer of flexibility, allowing course bookings over a 12-month period. Join us on a journey where education knows no bounds.

What are related courses and blogs provided by The Knowledge Academy?

The Knowledge Academy offers various Java Courses, including Java Programming, Hibernate Training and Introduction to Java EE Course. These courses cater to different skill levels, providing comprehensive insights into Latest Java Technologies Trends.

Our Programming and DevOps blogs cover a range of topics related to Java Programming, offering valuable resources, best practices, and industry insights. Whether you are a beginner or looking to advance your Java Programming skills, The Knowledge Academy's diverse courses and informative blogs have you covered.