Updated March 4, 2023
Difference Between C vs C++ Performance
C is a general-purpose computer programming language. C is considered a high-level programming language, and this programming language is much suitable and ideal for developing portable applications or firmware. The C programming language is a structure-oriented programming language, and it is proven, very flexible and most powerful, and it can be used for a variety of different applications. C++ is an enhancement and advanced for C language, and it is a general-purpose for an object-oriented programming language. C++ is a superset of the C family, and it is the preferred language by many for creating large-scale applications. C++ is considered as a compiled language, and implementation of this language is available on many platforms.
Let us study much more about C and C++ in detail:
- C is designed and developed by Dennis Ritchie in a company – Bell Labs, in the year 1972 for the UNIX operating system. The recent and stable release of the C programming language is made in the year 2011, December.
- C++ is designed and developed by Bjarne Stroustrup in the year 1985. Initially, C++ was called by the name “C with Classes”, and later it is renamed to C++ in the year 1983. The symbol ++ indicates that an increment operator in C symbolically represents an advanced version of C.
- The main basis of C++ is, it allows both hardware access and abstraction, and it carries effectively, and that makes C++ stand and differentiate from other programming languages.
As mentioned earlier, C++ is an object-oriented programming language. It has two main components:
- It directly maps the hardware features which are provided primarily by the C subset,
- Zero-overhead abstractions that are based on the hardware mappings.
Similar to the C language, the C++ programming language supports memory management in four types:
- Static storage duration objects.
- Thread storage duration objects.
- Automatic storage duration objects and
- Dynamic storage duration objects.
Head to Head Comparison Between C and C++ Performance (Infographics)
Below is the top 8 difference between C and C++ Performance:
Key differences between C and C++ Performance
Both C vs C++ Performance are popular choices in the market; let us discuss some of the major Difference Between C and C++ Performance:
- Since C could not handle and manage some complexity, C++ language was invented to manage the same. This will helps to improve performance.
- When it is considered about basic orientation, C language supports structure oriented programming. Whereas C++ supports object-oriented programming, generic programming, and also metaprogramming.
- C++ programming language supports Overloading and Exception Handling features, whereas these features will not be supported in C language.
- Inheritance is possible in the C language, whereas it is not possible in C++.
- C programming language follows the Top-down approach in programming, whereas C++ language follows the bottom-up approach in programming.
- C programming language is not compatible with generic programming, whereas C++ language is much compatible.
- In C language, the “scanf” function is used for standard input, and the “printf” function is used for standard output. Whereas “cin” and “cout” are used for standard input and output, respectively.
- Data security is more secured in the C++ language, whereas data is not secure in the C programming language. Since data will be hidden in the C++ language and it is not accessible by using external functions.
- C++ language supports reference variables by which performance will increase, but whereas the C language will not support reference variables.
- C programming language facilitates dynamic memory allocation by using malloc() and calloc()functions, and for memory de-allocation, it uses the free() function.
- Whereas C++ language facilitates memory allocation by using a new operator and also memory de-allocation by using the delete operator.
C and C++ Performance Comparison Table
The primary Comparison between C and C++ Performance are discussed below.
| The Basis of Comparison Between C vs C++ Performance | C | C++ Performance |
| About & Definition | C is a general-purpose computer programming language. C is a subset of C++.
C is designed and developed by Dennis Ritchie in a company – Bell Labs in the year 1972. |
C++ is a high-level object-oriented programming language. C++ is a superset of C.
C++ is designed and developed by Bjarne Stroustrup in the year 1985.
|
| Performance-based on Nature Of Language | The C programming language is a structure-oriented programming language.
Performance is slow compared to C++. |
C++ language is an object-oriented programming language, and it supports some important features like Polymorphism, Abstract Data Types, Encapsulation, etc.
Since it supports object-orientation, speed is faster compared to the C language. |
| Point Of Emphasis | C language gives importance to the steps or procedures, and those are followed to solve a problem. | C++ language gives importance to the objects and not the steps or procedures like C language. |
| Performance-Based on Driven language | C language is being procedural programming, and hence it is a function-driven language. | C++ language is being object-oriented programming; it is an object driven language. |
| Performance-Based on Data Types | C language supports all the basic and built-in data types. C does not support Boolean or String data types. | C++ language support String or Boolean data types.
C++ supports both user-defined and built-in data types. |
| Compatibility With Exception Handling and Overloading | Exception Handling and Overloading does not support in the C language.
But Exception Handling can be achieved by some other functions in C. |
Exception Handling and Overloading features are supported in the C++ language.
Exception Handling can be achieved by using the try & catch block. |
| Performance-Based on Memory Allocation And Deallocation | Memory Allocation can be done using malloc() and calloc functions.
For deallocation, free() function is used. |
In C++, Memory Allocation and Deallocation can be achieved by using new and delete operators, respectively. |
| Performance-Based on Mapping | In C language, it is complicated to Mapping between data and function.
It’s a disadvantage over the C++ language. |
In the C++ language, Mapping between data and function can be achieved easily by using ‘Object’. |
Conclusion
It is very easy and straightforward to conclude between C vs C++ Performance.
It is a known fact that C++ is an advanced and a superset of C. Hence C++ programming language possesses many new and advanced features compared to the C programming language. That includes performance feature as well. But it is a fact that many developers still prefer the C programming language for developing/ building operating systems using C language only. Finally, the performance of applications using both C vs C++ Performance programming languages depends on the requirement/ application you won’t develop.
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