Difference Between C vs C++ Performance
C is a general-purpose computer programming language. C programming language has history and in the market for several decades and it has acceptance around the world because it provides and facilitates the programmer’s maximum control over the program flow and efficiency on it.
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 C programming language is made in the year 2011, December. 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 preferable 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.
C++ is designed and developed by Bjarne Stroustrup in the year 1985. Initially, C++ was called by a name “C with Classes” and later it is renamed to C++ in the year 1983. The symbol ++ indicates that 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 C language, 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 vs C++ Performance (Infographics)
Below is the top 8 difference between C vs C++ Performance
Key differences between C vs C++ Performance
Both C vs C++ Performance are popular choices in the market; let us discuss some of the major Difference Between C vs C++ Performance:
- Since C could not handle and manage some complexity, C++ language was invented to manage the same. This will helps to improve the 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 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, “scanf” function is used for standard input and “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 C++ language whereas data is not secure in 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 free() function.
- Whereas C++ language facilitates memory allocation by using new operator and also memory de-allocation by using delete operator.
C vs C++ Performance Comparison Table
The primary Comparison between C vs 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 a procedural programming and hence it is function-driven language. | C++ language is being an 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 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 for 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 – C vs C++ Performance
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 C programming language. That includes performance feature as well. But it is fact that many developers still prefer 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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