What is the Difference Between C and Objective C?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚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:
- 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.
- 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.
- Exception Handling: Objective-C supports exception handling using catch and try blocks, while C does not.
- Function Definitions: Objective-C allows functions to have default arguments, while C does not.
- 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.
- 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.
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