Borland C++ Builder: The Complete Reference

to its success. Assembly language uses a symbolic representation of the actual binary
code that the computer executes. Each assembly language operation maps into a single
task for the computer to perform. Although assembly language gives programmers
the potential for accomplishing tasks with maximum flexibility and efficiency, it is
notoriously difficult to use when developing and debugging a program. Furthermore,
since assembly language is unstructured, the final program tends to be spaghetti
code--a tangled mess of jumps, calls, and indexes. This lack of structure makes
assembly language programs difficult to read, enhance, and maintain. Perhaps more
important, assembly language routines are not portable between machines with
different CPUs.
Initially, C was used for systems programming. A systems program is part of a large
class of programs that forms a portion of the operating system of the computer or its
support utilities. For example, the following are usually called systems programs:
Operating systems
Interpreters
Editors
Compilers
File utilities
Performance enhancers
Real-time executives
As C grew in popularity, many programmers began to use it to program all tasks
because of its portability and efficiency--and because they liked it! At the time of its
creation, C was a much longed-for, dramatic improvement in programming languages.
Of course, C++ has carried on this tradition.
With the advent of C++, some thought that C as a distinct language would die
out. Such has not been the case. First, not all programs require the application of the
object-oriented programming features provided by C++. For example, applications
such as embedded systems are still typically programmed in C. Second, a substantial
amount of C code is still in use, and those programs will continue to be enhanced and
maintained. While C's greatest legacy is as the foundation for C++, it will continue to
be a vibrant, widely used language for many years to come.
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