The rumors about the obsolescence of C were immature. In fact, some of the latest developments in the software world indicate that C is still a leading programming tool. Linux is entirely written in C. C is also the language of choice under Windows CE and hand-held computers. Finally, the “open source movement” is essentially the “open C/C++ source movement” judging from the popularity of these languages among free software products. Estimates predict that this trend will even increase as embedded systems and Web-enabled devices become more widely-used.

While the ANSI/ISO C++ Standard explicitly states that C++ is “based on the C programming language”, over-zealous C++ programmers tend to denounce C downright. This is a mistake, as the combination of both languages make a synergic combination. And what’s more, the chances that your next software project may use strict C are higher today than they have ever been in the past 5 years.