What is the Difference Between C and Objective C?

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The main difference between C and Objective-C is that C is a procedural programming language, while Objective-C is an object-oriented programming (OOP) language that is a superset of C. Here are some key differences between the two:

  1. Object-Oriented Programming: Objective-C has an object-oriented class system, which is not present in C. This means that C lacks the concepts of objects and classes.
  2. Memory Management: C provides malloc() and calloc() functions for dynamic memory allocation, and free() for memory de-allocation. In contrast, Objective-C uses a new operator for memory allocation and a delete operator for memory de-allocation.
  3. Exception Handling: Objective-C supports exception handling using catch and try blocks, while C does not.
  4. Function Definitions: Objective-C allows functions to have default arguments, while C does not.
  5. Runtime Message Passing: In Objective-C, a message is sent to the class at runtime and resolved while the application is running, giving the called method complete control over how to handle the action.
  6. Usage: C is a general-purpose language for Unix systems, typically used to build system applications and desktop apps. Objective-C, on the other hand, is primarily used for building iOS apps and macOS applications.

Despite these differences, there is a high degree of similarity between C and Objective-C in terms of syntax, which means that knowing C can help you learn Objective-C more easily.

Comparative Table: C vs Objective C

The main difference between C and Objective-C is that C is a structured programming language, while Objective-C is a multi-paradigm programming language that is based on C and supports object-oriented programming. Here is a table highlighting the key differences between C and Objective-C:

Feature C Objective-C
Programming Paradigm Procedural programming language Object-oriented programming language
Supports OOP No Yes, it supports Inheritance, Abstraction, Encapsulation, and Polymorphism
Data Types Arrays, structures, enums Extended data types such as NSArray, NSDictionary, NSSet, etc.
Memory Management malloc(), calloc(), free() New memory allocation operator and delete operator for memory de-allocation
Exception Handling Not supported Supported with try and catch blocks
Default Arguments Does not allow defining functions with default arguments Allows defining functions with default arguments
Compatibility Cannot run Objective-C code Can run C code

In summary, C is a procedural programming language and does not support object-oriented programming concepts. In contrast, Objective-C is an object-oriented programming language that extends the C language and supports features such as inheritance, abstraction, encapsulation, and polymorphism.