Also OOP is literally booming everywhere The big OOP boom happened in the 90s. These days, OOP is just another tool in the toolbox. Answer from fredoverflow on reddit.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › why do people still use c instead of c++?
r/learnprogramming on Reddit: Why do people still use C instead of C++?
May 25, 2021 -
I am a python user so I may not have all the information but why do people and especially big companies still use C instead of C++? Isn't C++ the superset of C so it is supposed to be better? Also OOP is literally booming everywhere while C is still procedural. I don't suppose that there is much speed comprise between the two, so is there a specific reason?
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Also OOP is literally booming everywhere The big OOP boom happened in the 90s. These days, OOP is just another tool in the toolbox.
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Well, let's look at the Linux kernel, as an example. Linux is written in C. C++ has many more language features than C, but more features isn't necessarily better. In the case of an operating system kernel, where performance is everything, features are potentially quite bad. Classes, virtual lookup tables for method overloading, and the like add small but non-zero extra footprint to object-oriented code. Writing C is just about as close to writing assembly as you can get without writing assembly. So it makes a lot of sense for Linus to have chosen C. Also, C is a comparatively simple language. C++ is fantastically complicated. Any shmoe can pick up a book on C and have it mostly figured out in a few months, but C++ is a sea of weird little edges and use cases. C++ compilers are necessarily much more complex than C compilers, and you don't always need all that complexity. Finding bugs in C++ code can be much harder than finding equivalent bugs in C code. That's the cost of features.
Quora
quora.com › Why-do-people-still-use-C-instead-of-C-What-are-the-benefits-of-using-C-over-C
Why do people still use C instead of C++? What are the benefits of using C over C++? - Quora
The one that actually knows C++ will have to babysit everyone else and argue against nine morons why their code has bugs in it. If you work on a team, stick to C. This is the main reason C is still preferred over C++. The correctness of C can be proven. If you make software that lives depend upon, you must either use static analysis tools to prove the correctness of C or use Ada.
Why would someone use C instead of C++? - Stack Overflow
Possible Duplicate: Why artificially limit your code to C? I started off with learning C, but then jumped straight into C++ simply because it supports OO and was also required for subsequent wo... More on stackoverflow.com
Why use C instead of C++
C is a much smaller, simpler language. It's easier to know it well, and find other programmers who know it well. It hasn't changed very much in 30 years. There's less that can happen under the hood, the low-level characteristics of C code are generally very obvious. Its limitations are usually tolerable for problem domain it was designed for. The compile times for heavy-duty C++ code can be a huge pain in the ass. More on reddit.com
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January 1, 2020c++ - Why is C language still used? - Stack Overflow
C on the other hand is simpler. There is no complex runtime to implement. Smaller memory constrained operating systems, 'bare metal' firmware or some drivers may only require what C offers. Even in C++, elements of C are still sometimes used. More on stackoverflow.com
Is the C programming language still used? - Software Engineering Stack Exchange
C++ compile times are noticeably ... I've used. Now while there are other languages that want to become the popular systems language out there (I know about D in particular), a far majority of software is written in C/C++. Languages like D require someone to create a wrapper around the C library instead of just using ... More on softwareengineering.stackexchange.com
Videos
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Why Beginners Should Learn How To Code in C! - YouTube
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Should you Learn C Programming in 2024 ? - YouTube
09:27
Is the C programming language still worth learning? - YouTube
Also OOP is literally booming everywhere The big OOP boom happened in the 90s. These days, OOP is just another tool in the toolbox. Answer from fredoverflow on reddit.com
The Codist
thecodist.com › why-are-people-still-using-c
Why Are People Still Using C?
August 2, 2023 - C requires that you carefully manage your own memory and keep in mind the security issues of everything you do lest you leave a hole someone can exploit. In the 1980s, it wasn't a big deal, but secure coding has been essential since the dawn of the Internet, and the C language doesn't help you much. Before ARC (Automatic Reference Counting), writing Objective-C was easy to screw up since you had to manually balance Retain and Release calls on top of regular malloc/free. After ARC (which still runs under Swift), it became much easier as the compiler took care of most of the effort, though you still had to manage regular C memory.
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › C_(programming_language)
C (programming language) - Wikipedia
November 10, 2001 - C is a general-purpose programming language created in the 1970s by Dennis Ritchie. By design, C gives the programmer relatively direct access to the features of the typical CPU architecture, customized for the target instruction set.
Quora
quora.com › What-are-the-reasons-for-most-companies-to-continue-using-C-instead-of-other-languages-like-Java-or-Python
What are the reasons for most companies to continue using C instead of other languages like Java or Python? - Quora
So, let’s be clear — the performance critical tasks in computing actually run on C/C++ (and increasingly, Rust!), and many people just USE them through higher level languages. Those are some - but probably not even close to all - of the many reasons why C/C++ is still absolutely central to every aspect of computing, and things like Python and Java and other languages “ride on top” of C/C++. And thus, why it’s worth learning and using (when appropriate) these “older” languages.
InfoWorld
infoworld.com › home › software development › programming languages › c language
Why the C programming language still rules | InfoWorld
November 3, 2025 - The more C++ features you use, the more complexity you introduce and the more difficult it becomes to tame the results. Developers who confine themselves to a subset of C++ can avoid many of its worst pitfalls. But some shops want to guard against that complexity altogether. The Linux kernel development team, for instance, eschews C++, and while the team is eyeing Rust as a language for future kernel additions, the majority of Linux will still be written in C.
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C string handling is very different than C++ typical string code. Certainly I wouldn't want any C++ string near my drivers!
More specifically, in good, modern C++ you don't really have to understand pointers and handle buffers at low level; but these are basic and crucial skills in device driver code.
Yes, it's possible to write good drivers in C++; but that C++ would really look like C with a few extra features. Most of the C++ library has no place in deviceland.
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It could simply be that they do not have a C++ compiler for the platform they are working with... Personally I would always use C++ in preference to C.
NareshIT
nareshit.com › blogs › why-c-language-is-still-used-in-modern-software
Why C Language Is Still Used in Modern Software Dev
But the foundation remains strong. C remains indispensable because it offers a unique combination: ● Speed ● Control ● Reliability ● Portability ● Predictability Modern development still needs C.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/c_programming › why use c instead of c++
r/C_Programming on Reddit: Why use C instead of C++
January 1, 2020 -
I would call my self intermediate in C++ and basic in C. I seriously don’t understand why you would C instead of C++ except if you don’t have access to libraries.
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C is a much smaller, simpler language. It's easier to know it well, and find other programmers who know it well. It hasn't changed very much in 30 years. There's less that can happen under the hood, the low-level characteristics of C code are generally very obvious. Its limitations are usually tolerable for problem domain it was designed for. The compile times for heavy-duty C++ code can be a huge pain in the ass.
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C is a simpler language, small enough to understand in full. The standard is shorter, easier to read and comprehend. Far fewer pitfalls (though certainly not zero). Compilation speed is very fast. It's more portable. It has a stable, reliable ABI on basically every platform. C++ is a gigantic language that's still growing very quickly. Most of its extra features either aren't very useful or are outright dangerous, like exceptions. Lots of C++ programmers say they stick to a useful subset of C++, but nobody agrees on which subset that is.
Toptal
toptal.com › c › after-all-these-years-the-world-is-still-powered-by-c-programming
What Is the C Programming Language Used For Today | Toptal®
June 10, 2025 - It’s closeness to the hardware, great portability and deterministic usage of resources makes it ideal for low level development for such things as operating system kernels and embedded software. Its versatility, efficiency and good performance makes it an excellent choice for high complexity data manipulation software, like databases or 3D animation. The fact that many programming languages today are better than C for their intended use doesn’t mean that they beat C in all areas. C is still unsurpassed when performance is the priority.
HackerNoon
hackernoon.com › why-and-where-should-you-still-use-cc-languages-6l1r838gh
Why and where should you still use C/C++ languages? | HackerNoon
July 25, 2019 - From complex databases to self-driving cars, the usage area of C and C++ languages is surprisingly wide. Even today, with a myriad of new & robust programming tools, the two coding languages from 70s cannot be replaced. So what are the common applications of C & C++ today and why we still use them?
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C has the advantage that it is a relatively small language, which makes it easy to implement a C compiler (whereas a C++ compiler is a monster to write), and makes it easier to learn the language. Also see the TIOBE index, according to which C slightly ahead of C++.
In (IMO) decreasing order of justification, C is still used a lot for
Embedded stuff
It's way easier to port a C compiler to a small platform than it is to port a C++ compiler. Also, C advocates claim that C++ "does too much behind their backs". However, IMO that's FUD.Systems programming
Again, that's usually due to claims that it is easier to "know what the compiler is doing". However, many embedded programs would benefit from, e.g., templates and other C++ key features.Open source software
That's mostly an attitude problem, though: OSS has always preferred C over C++ (whereas it's the opposite in large parts of the industry). Torvalds' irrational hatred might actually be the most important reason for this on Linux.
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C is used a lot in embedded hardware programming where resources are scarce.
Linux kernel is written in C because, according to Linus Torvalds, C++ is a horrible language.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/cprogramming › is c still alive?
r/cprogramming on Reddit: Is C still alive?
September 23, 2023 -
I've studied C programming basics in school and college, then there are many languages java python etc etc...
Though I'm not working in coding field... out of curiosity, i want to know IS C STILL ALIVE?... if yes can I fresh start a career with it
Reddit
reddit.com › r/c_programming › why and for what purpose you use c language when its 2019?
r/C_Programming on Reddit: Why and for what purpose you use C language when its 2019?
February 23, 2019 -
C is a popular language but i wanna know why use C now and for what purpose.
Thank you.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/cpp_questions › why do people still use c instead of c++?
r/cpp_questions on Reddit: Why do people still use C instead of C++?
May 25, 2021 -
I am a python user so I may not have all the information but why do people and especially big companies still use C instead of C++? Isn't C++ the superset of C so it is supposed to be better? Also OOP is literally booming everywhere while C is still procedural. I don't suppose that there is much speed comprise between the two, so is there a specific reason?
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Why do people still use C instead of C++? C is a small language, making it easy to understand. It compiles on nearly every computer in existence, from the biggest super computers, to the smallest microcontrollers. You should probably ask this on r/c_programming . Isn't C++ the superset of C No. so it is supposed to be better? Not better. Different. Also OOP is literally booming everywhere And yet, C++ evolution is pointing toward the Functional programming paradigm and away from OOP. There's even a batch processing revival happening called Data Oriented Design. OOP has its place, but its utility and applicability is overstated. There are better solutions to many problems, even then as now. while C is still procedural C is also a multi-paradigm language, just in a different way. You can still do objects and inheritance and polymorphism and functional style programming in C. I don't suppose that there is much speed comprise between the two There absolutely can be. Standard sort is often benchmarked as faster than bsort, because the former is a template with a lot more type information available at compile-time for optimizations, whereas bsort relies on void pointers, type erasure, and casting at runtime. But to be fair, it's rare that all-out performance is all that critical. I used to write high-speed trading software; we would drop $5k on a new network card for 600 nanoseconds, and we still wrote our critical path in Java. And the gap is close - it's hard to justify picking one over the other for performance. And both have caught up to Fortran. so is there a specific reason? C was invented to write Unix. It's a language for writing operating systems and bare metal applications - and there, it still reigns supreme. C++ presumes it has available a runtime and that it is a hosted application. That means to write bare metal, there are a host of language features that are not accessible to you, so you're down to a subset of C++. There are also advantages to writing system software in the same language as the system itself.
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Applications already exist. Rewriting them just to use a different language is very hard to justify. There are still applications written in ancient languages you (probably) havent heard of running out there. OOP isnt a cure all, its not even the best design choice in a lot of cases. If all your program does is read in a file and sum up every row, then what do you need objects for? "Better" is somewhat subjective. C++ certainly provides more features. Its also easier to come up with a bad design in C++. If you e.g. used std::list because the typename sounds like what you need, you probably made a mistake. People are creatures of habit. If your software is in C, you know C and C still is in good shape, why learn something different?
Reddit
reddit.com › r/cprogramming › why just no use c ?
r/cprogramming on Reddit: Why just no use c ?
January 22, 2025 -
Since I’ve started exploring C, I’ve realized that many programming languages rely on libraries built using C “bindings.” I know C is fast and simple, so why don’t people just stick to using and improving C instead of creating new languages every couple of years?
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C has some serious shortcomings that make it impractical or uncomfortable to use for many tasks. I wouldn't want to do, for example, web development in C. As for improving C, that happens but extremely slowly. C is rather unique in that it is a foundational language for just about every computer on the planet from the microcontroller in your electric toothbrush to the largest supercomputers. There are tens or hundreds of compilers in daily use. Every change to the language upsets someone and takes years to get through the standardization process. This is not necessarily a bad thing, C should evolve very conservatively.
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Any sufficiently complicated C or Fortran program contains an ad hoc, informally-specified, bug-ridden, slow implementation of half of Common Lisp. --Greenspun's tenth rule C is used a great deal, and has been for a long time. But to get it up to the level of convenience and rapid-prototyping capability of (say) Python, one would pretty much have to implement something like Python! (CPython, the reference implementation, is, in fact, written in C!) Python (mostly) doesn't segfault. It (mostly) doesn't leak memory. You can load new functions into the program while it's running. It's easy to accidentally segfault or leak memory or generally mess up a pointer and read or write memory where you didn't want to. That mostly doesn't happen in Python. Many things that have to be design patterns in C are built into the language. It has dynamic typing, iterators, hash tables, automatic array resizing, a garbage collecter, a large standard library. The stack trace almost always points you to exactly your problem, but in C, you might accidentally overwrite the information you needed to debug it! Compared to Python, C feels tedious. Of course, there are costs to all of that. Python seem slow and bloated in comparison. In practice, CPython projects get most of the best of both worlds, because the fast library code gets written in C, and the slow Python code just glues those libraries together. Still bloated though.
Programiz PRO
programiz.pro › resources › c-uses
8 Main Uses of C Programming in 2023
But despite these limitations, C can still be used in game and animation development thanks to third-party libraries such as OpenGL, SDL, and SFML. These libraries provide a set of functions and tools that can be used to create graphics, audio, and other multimedia elements using C. On the ...
Quora
quora.com › Why-is-C-still-in-use-even-though-we-have-C++-Is-there-anything-that-C-can-do-but-C++-cant-or-maybe-something-that-is-easier-to-do-in-C-rather-than-C++
Why is C still in use even though we have C++? Is there anything that C can do but C++ can't or maybe something that is easier to do in C rather than C++? - Quora
Answer (1 of 30): While even I may myself often use C++ instead if C, C does have its appeal. If you ask me, C is like a hard-won battle, on which you spent time, sweat and blood, and finally emerged the victor to the thundering sound of claps by people who are standing by your side in the battle...
Electronic Design
electronicdesign.com › technologies › embedded › software › article › 21798314 › whats-the-difference-between-c-now-and-then
What’s The Difference Between C – Now and Then | Electronic Design
C support often required the use of non-standard compiler features such as special pointer types. Many features, such as fixed point arithmetic, were common enough to warrant a standard like Embedded C. The ISO...