Learn about Control Statements and Constants in C Programming

Last Updated on March 4, 2022 by Jonathan Lopez

C is a procedural computer programming language developed by Dennis Ritchie between 1972 and 1973. C can be used to develop software such as databases, operating systems, compilers, and many more. C language can also be an excellent programming language for beginners.

C programming language is a must-know for students and working professionals who want to become better Software Engineers, especially if they work in the Software Development field. C was the first used for system development, namely for the programmes that make up an operating system. C was chosen as a system development language because it generates code that executes nearly as quickly as assembly language code.

Applications of C Programming

Operating Systems
Language Compilers
Assemblers
Text Editors
Language interpreters

Benefits of C Programming Language

Here are a few reasons why programmers choose the C language for running a program:

Structured language.
It is very easy to understand and learn.
It also generates very efficient programs.
It helps you handle various low-level activities.
The compilation of C programs can occur on various computer programs.

Facts About the C Programming Language

The C language came into existence for writing an OS known as the UNIX operating system.
This language is the successor of the B language, which came into existence in the early 1970s.
The ANSI (American National Standard Institute) formalized this language in 1988.
The creators of this language have totally written the UNIX OS in C.
As of today, the C language is the most popular and widely used programming language.
Programmers have implemented a majority of the futuristic, avant-garde tools and software using the C language.

Control Statements in C Programming

Control statements used in the C language facilitate a user to specify a program control’s flow. A control statement in C also helps to determine whether other statements will be executed. It also allows users to specify the order of execution of the instructions present in a program.

The advantages of statements are mainly:

It makes it possible for the user to program certain decisions
Perform various tasks repeatedly
Jump from any one section of the code to a different section

Types of Statements

If statement
Switch Statement
Conditional Operator Statement
Goto Statement
Loop Statements

Constants in C Programming

A constant in C programming is a value or variable that can’t be changed in a programme. It is very similar to variables in the C programming language, but during execution of a programme it can hold only a single variable. It means that once the value is assigned to the constant, it can’t be changed throughout the execution of the programme.

There are many types of constants in C programming. The two major categories are:

Primary Constants
Secondary Constants

Types of Constants in C

Type of Constants	Data type	Example of Data type
Integer constants	int	23, 738, -1278, etc.
	unsigned int	2000u, 5000U, etc.
	long int, long long int	325,647 1,245,473,940
Floating-point or Real constants	doule	500.987654321
Floating-point or Real constants	float	20.987654
Octal constant	int	Example: 013 /starts with 0 /
Hexadecimal constant	int	Example: 0x90 /starts with 0x/
character constants	char	Example: ‘X’, ‘Y’, ‘Z’
string constants	char	Example: “PQRS”, “ABCD”