Why to some engineering colleges teach C and not C++??

Question

Isn't C++ supposed to be more advanced because of the object oriented approach??

Answer 1

I guess C++ is harder and takes more than a semester to learn. Yet once you 'get' C, it's a lot easier to learn C++.

Answer 2

Probably several reasons.

They're trying to teach concepts rather than a language so they use a common one with fewer constructs so students don't get lost in all the added features.

It's easier to teach and grade because there's less of a gap between the programs produced by top and bottom students.

C has long been a standard, it's highly portable, and there are many free compilers out there that the college can choose from. There are fewer choices for C++, they cost more, and there are enough differences in their support for features of the language that it introduces added complexity when working with students.

The object oriented features of C++ aren't that big a plus when dealing with most hardware and, in fact, it can be a hinderance because it comes with huge code size and performance penalties.

There are far fewer C++ compilers available for hardware devices, while most all hardware manufacturers make standard C compilers available. That's because of the size and performance penalties plus the added difficulty of creating a compliant C++ compiler for each piece of hardware the manufacturer develops.

By teaching the student C, the student is taught the fundamental principles, what's most applicable to the engineering trade, and a subset of the C++ langauge that they can build upon with further study.

Answer 3

C is ground level programming. Think of the difference as C being math with paper and pencil and C++ being math with a calculator.

Everything you can do in C++ you can do in C, you just have to design it youself instead of importing someone elses hidden code into your programs.

C++ is a cheat.

Now, learning how to DESIGN OBJECTS for C++ that's another story!

Answer 4

The sorts of computer programs that most engineers write are fairly small and single-purpose - data analysis and graphing, equipment interface, equation solving, etc. Object-oriented programming is an unnecessary complication.

In my day, they taught us FORTRAN.