Is C Still Worth Learning in 2024 for Embedded Software?

[@ohwow2074]

Really cool to see a C developer tell others that they should not write C style code in C++ and instead should embrace the features of the C++ and use them. Subscribed!!!

[@GreidiAjalik]

Cheers!

[@rocapbg9518]

the features of C++ are garbage and if I'm ever stuck writing in this god forsaken language you bet your ass I am writing C style code

[@Kanjiro0]

@@rocapbg9518 loooool it's freaking hell

[@jmean4]

I am a graduate student doing my master in Computer engineering and I love embedded systems!

[@TomokoAbe_]

C is important because it accesses deeper recesses of the computer other languages cannot. Also, C is very fast, and can be used to write device drivers. There still is a demand for C programmers.

[@SystemsDevel]

cool stuff! I'd just like to add that you can technically do data hiding, encapsulation & polymorphism in C using pointers because pointers are awesome. you can also use namespaces by prefixing your variable names and function names with maybe the module name. array_numberOfElements or array_destroy()

[@GreidiAjalik]

Great tip! Thanks! :)

[@SystemsDevel]

@@GreidiAjalik You are great =)

[@SteelHorseRider74]

you could even #define { as BEGIN and } as END, etc - and have so a Pascal-style programming experience, in C!! ^_^

[@SystemsDevel]

@@SteelHorseRider74 yuck :)

[@josephdaquila2479]

So that's basically writing a method for an object without necessarily really having methods and properties?

[@GreidiAjalik]

Thank you for watching everyone! Hope you enjoyed it, feel free to share your thoughts of if it’s worth to learn C today! Cheers!

[@GreidiAjalik]

Thanks for the support my friend! :)

[@GreidiAjalik]

@Alexander Malyshkov lol, thanks man! I had a pretty good laugh with the code "thanks"

[@txic.4818]

you deserve at least 100k subscribers for this content

[@GreidiAjalik]

@@txic.4818 Thank you !

[@tobaadesanya32]

Great video again Greidi! 👏 I'm also transitioning from C to C++ and I'm actually loving it! (surprisingly). Maybe it's the thrill of learning a new language again?? Anyway, do you have any books or resources you can recommend that helped you when you were transitioning?

[@GreidiAjalik]

Thank you so much! I dont have particular books or resources. I’ve learned it mainly during my work time and at school…. Nothing fancy :D lots of googling around and making my projects happen. Best of luck on learning!

[@salsamancer]

A good programmer understands that language is just a means to an end. Learn whatever program you want, the real knowledge is understanding how to analyze your computing challenges and how to implement your solutions. C is popular in embedded because for many vendors you simply won't have any other language available

[@Andarius]

I write a lot of "C with classes" style C++. We are generally very resource constrained and avoid a lot of C++ features because they depend on heap. There are a few times where I made pool allocators when I really wanted dynamic allocations. A lot of systems are meant to run robustly for a long time, so heap fragmentation can really become an issue. Good news is that the C++ compilers have come a long way in the last 15 years or so. They were pretty garbage a while back.

[@durandile]

I don't think that the lack of namespaces is an issue. It forces you to not use global variableq or functions which is a good thing for lots of embedded project where you want to control the access to memory etc.

[@megastarling]

When you started talking about cons, your furry friend couldn't hear it and ran away :-) But seriously, great content.

[@GreidiAjalik]

lol, yeah, he's just trying to sleep in peace.... Thanks for the support! Cheers!

[@niloedsonms]

You can still try to implement some OOP concepts in C, but you'd have to go really deep into the C concepts to do that. Which just makes other languages easier to work with. Regarding speed issues, I always wondered why Lua isn't used more often. I have only seen Espressif using it on their MCUs.

[@GreidiAjalik]

That’s true, I’ve read about that as well, but in reality… who’s got the time to deal with that if other languages are ready to go as oop. Speed issues with the language used?

[@niloedsonms]

@@GreidiAjalik Lua is pretty fast and brings lots of advantages from the scripting languages world. Has minimum OOP concepts, namespaces and an intensive C symbiose.

[@GreidiAjalik]

Ah, that’s nice - I’ll need to look into it!

[@cmigy05]

Yes, in C it is relatively easy to use concept of classes, data abstraction and hiding (as private). I offten hear that this is pros of C++ over C, but in reality C is very flexible and only limitation is human imagination of using it. I'm not saying that C++ is a no go for embedded, but rather wants to point out that C offers that concept too (and should not be easily talk as a cons of C).

[@SteelHorseRider74]

I barely remember I heard this or a similar question to "is it still worth learning C" first in the mid to late 90's, when Java was at its advent to become the next big thing, and personally, I would say: yes, if you have the chance, learn it, even now in 2023! You never will be able to create mem leaks, one-off-misses and segmentation faults easier ^_^

[@543vantankhang5]

Thank you for advice , maybe i'm right about moving to learning C++ after finish C . Moving from C to C++ it's easy for me at the beginning . Before watch your video i'm still wonder it's worth to learning C++ when C is commonly used in Embedded System . Again , thank you so much . Btw your dog is cute .

[@GreidiAjalik]

Hey! You should learn c++ (modern c++) when you get a chance! Thank you for the support, my dog appreciates the kind words as well!

[@anona1443]

I thought I know C++ at 2008. But today c++ has completely changed. C++ is crazy.

[@Otakutronics]

Our college teaches us C++ first and then C in the next semester. Thankyou for your worth watching content.

[@mohamedbasha6474]

Thanks for your tips, really inspire me ❤️

[@GreidiAjalik]

Thank you for your support Mohamed! :)

[@sylvestrestalin]

lacking oop in C is actually a feature.

[@MrSteele105]

You taking shots at me bro 🧐🧐🧐

[@GreidiAjalik]

lol :D

[@SergeySuper_Silver]

Once you started coding in C++, it's difficult to return to C even if you used to work with it. That's because in C++ everything is more convenient.

[@keremzorer8403]

Thank you for your helpful advice i hope i will be a good embedded systems engineer one day

[@GreidiAjalik]

No problem! Thanks for the support! I’m sure you will with some hard work and having enough interest in this field! :)

[@RomanKhrulev-d7m]

Greetings, I would like to ask your advice: I am a circuit engineer, PCB designer, 5 years experience, and I am generally interested in embedded development, but so far I have little understanding of embedded systems programming and would like to dive into this topic. It's important for me to transition to remote work once I reach a certain level of experience in this area, can you please advise me if this is possible in embedded development even if it would be completely necessary to transition into programming? Or maybe to achieve this goal it would be worth delving into a higher level topic in programming in IoT topics or something similar? Thanks in advance!

[@haroldmcbroom7807]

You can't even recognize C language anymore, from it's origins, because the only way it can survive is through frameworks, and we've all been through toolchain hell, framework hell, followed by text editor/IDE hell, and trying to get it all functional, only to realize it's missing help files, and graphics libraries which are offered through 3rd parties, then you have to figure out how to get that working with your current toolchain, framework, editor or IDE. I'm 51 years old now, and I grew up with DOS and Borland C, which had everything you need. Cross platform-programming is destroying the industry from within. It feels more like a forced exodus, or migration away from desktop PC's, on to dumbed down hand-held devices. You can't program on a hand-held device, it's just not feasible, but it's all about controlling who has access to information, and who has access to technology, and who has access to both.

[@FPChris]

So today I thought I’d give Rust a try. Started reading some basic introduction and got to For Loops. NO WAY is that better the a traditional C style for loop. No wonder C lives on.

[@GreidiAjalik]

I’ve always thought about try Rust, but never took the time to actually do that… now I know, thanks for the heads up

[@gchatz6480]

I thought that rust has no for loop, rather it uses while loop? Maybe i remember wrong..

[@codewithtae6637]

Were you self taught? If so, what steps did you follow to become a embedded software engineer?

[@GreidiAjalik]

Mostly self taught yes, I had few coding classes at school, but nothing compared to what I actually had to learn. I mostly learned at work all new concepts or after ours of my free time. Here's a quick overview of how I became one... kzbin.info/www/bejne/qabQkoeNaLStqJY

[@codewithtae6637]

@@GreidiAjalik Awesome! I appreciate the reply!

[@kevinchadwick8993]

Ada is the best language for embedded by a significant margin. For many reasons but Adas record overlays in particular for peripheral registers are the best. I would say, learn enough C to be able to read reference code and use better more cost effective languages in 2023.

[@hanyashraf2997]

I really appreciate your opinion but alot of companies they do their jobs using c language and that mean at the end of the day we forced us to learn it .

[@gabrielfienco2531]

Good, i am already learning C++ and C# on my free time, i always use only C, but will take your advice on how to enhace code With them.

[@GreidiAjalik]

Nice job man! Keep it going!

[@ninjaoftherift1620]

Im doing a second bs in computer engineering at 24 and im transitioning from my first bachelors in IT focused in web development and I've been a little on edge with AI replacing programming alot of ex google belive it will but i feel like they are talking about high level programming while firmware and embbeded software have lots of hardware interaction. Any advice or tips?

[@NOMADRECON101]

Absolutely Yes!

[@adidascamp]

Hey, I like your content I'm somewhat similar to what you have been through, I did my UG in EE, but im passionate about software development. I do love hardware stuff involving circuits, but more interested in software development. I wanna know if major in EE is worth it or should I go for MSCS? Is embedded software engineer jobs available as much as computer science jobs in Usa? If so, how would you rate the ease of international student getting a job in usa after PG in EE as embedded software engineer.

[@GreidiAjalik]

Thank you so much for the support! If I were in your position, I would not do EE masters for embedded software engineering, I would do (and I am doing) masters in Computer Science - not sure about what school you’re looking at but mine (Georgia Tech) offers courses in embedded and robotics on mscs level (check the school programs courses offered and other degrees like Software engineering and computer engineering masters) Why you might ask? Well you already learned about circuits etc… now would be time to learn about how to write proper software :). There are less jobs for embedded - it’s a very specific niche of software engineering, but it has a wide variety of jobs you could be performing. As a international student you are automatically excluded from all government positions that require to have a green card or citizenship, so you want to target companies that aren’t associated with government on that level and be willing to relocate (makes job searching easier). Hope this helps! Let me know if you have other questions! Cheers!

[@adidascamp]

Thank you for your informational reply. I was also wondering how can I be a machine learning engineer with EE master's who deals with sensors using python? Is this career in demand and are high jobs available in this field?

[@GreidiAjalik]

@@adidascamp ML and AI are in demand, and more so as time goes by just seeing where the industry is going. Autonomous cars, trains, planes, medical devices, etc... there's lots of space and room for that kind of stuff.

[@adidascamp]

Would you make a video on how EE master's freshers can find internships and jobs?

[@GreidiAjalik]

@@adidascamp I'll keep this in mind, I've other people requesting something similar, maybe I can make it happen at some point :D

[@txic.4818]

Just wondering here; do embedded/computer engineering jobs usually have technical programming interviews on coderpad or whatnot?

[@GreidiAjalik]

Yep they do! Our company has set up our own environment where interviewees login and can do embedded programming. Some companies might not care about actually launching code on the board, so yeah….

[@robbietorkelsonn8509]

is it still worth learning to read and write as a software engineer in 2023? good luck getting uboot to work if you can't read the source code

[@GreidiAjalik]

yep, most likely worth learning for many years to come :)

[@nkonyanechristopher]

oop is software design not syntax ,perfectly achievable in c

[@kurojeremiah8516]

Absolutely!

[@LJoNJaA47]

Not "perfectly". You need to do some porn with structs, unions and function pointers. I once worked on project, where dev thought it was I good idea to use OOP C. It was total garbage to read, and re-writing it on Cpp was just way more easier than refactoring existing code

[@samuele5931]

Yes, but it’s not that common

[@argadargad9128]

How often do embedded sw engineers program in Bare Metal? All I have is they use tools such as STM cube to create code to interact with the hw and write an application code to to interact with that code

[@GreidiAjalik]

Bare metal depends on the product line, most products are moving onto some type of OS.

[@VictoryFTU]

Hej from Sweden, I have a question which really hope your advise. I have no basic knowledge about embedded system but I do love it. So I prepare myself by learning C++ myself and next year I will apply to polytechnics program about embedded software developers. I wonder is it a right way for me to start my career this way and do you have any suggestions about online course which could help me to be full prepared or even become embedded developer without polytechnics program? Thank you so much.

[@GreidiAjalik]

Thanks for the support! It sounds like a solid plan… but the truth is that yes you can become one without a degree, but you must self learn everything and that is challenging. I’ve yet to find good online courses that actually walk you through of becoming an embedded software engineer… check coursera and udemy.

[@marioriley7209]

Hi Greidi, can assembly language be incorporated into c++? I am dinosaur that loves assembly language for hardware control.😀

[@GreidiAjalik]

😂 yes it can, you can use asm declaration in c++ to write it.

[@marioriley7209]

@@GreidiAjalik Thank you for the prompt response!

[@GreidiAjalik]

No problem!

[@Korudo]

Spoilers for video. Offering my critique. I think it’s kinda lousy to do a video about the question, then only answer it with “It depends on your goals, but also learn C++ and Python. Bye!” at the very end. This isn’t helpful and I’d prefer it if you explained how learning C is useful in 2022, or not, and explain why in detail. If it depends, then explain a few use cases. I’m disappointed because this could have been a helpful video, but it wasn’t.

[@GreidiAjalik]

Thank you for the feedback! I'll keep it in mind if I make similar videos! Cheers!

[@aparnashandilya4629]

here me ( a rookie who wants to learn programming)bseeing this and wondering now what is embedded software engineering😑 there are just so many terms 😅

[@miriamDev]

Totally confusing 🤣

[@Cryogenics12]

How concerned are you about AI taking embedded jobs?

[@guruprasad5856]

Hi there I am pursuing MSc micro electronic and communication in UK embedded systems , digital design automation, analog design circuit are important module in the course what do u think about it sir

[@GreidiAjalik]

Hey there! That's great! - do you enjoy what you're learning and doing? If yes, then that's all that matters!

[@ExpatTraderFX]

quick question: I'm a full stack web developer ive been doing this for about 3 years now, im completely self taught with no college degree and i have alwats wanted to get into embedded software Development i'm thinking if i take a year to study on the side the things that i need to learn would it be possible for someone like myself with no degree to land this kind of a job? i ask becasue alot of indeed posting all require a degree so far that ive seen!?

[@harismasoom6634]

Hello Greidi First of I really appreciate you are making content about Embedded systems. I have a question My first language is C++ and I also love it very much. So can I become a good embedded system engineer only using C++ without learning C btw I also started learning python now a days but I would love to achieve very good grip of C++ on my own. Can you tell me that is it good for someone to only learn C++ for embedded system engineering or not?

[@GreidiAjalik]

The transition from C++ to C isn't that bad. There are companies that only use C++, but knowing C for embedded would be important.

[@wastedkafir9134]

_what about c & c++ programmers getting replaced by AI within 5yrs?_

[@akashbadgujar5825]

@@wastedkafir9134 And who will create and/or maintain those AI's without knowledge of programming?

[@nyashaneshumba4702]

hie i've just watched your video i just got a bsc in hardware engineering and i'm interested in embedded systems can i get help on this

[@nyashaneshumba4702]

I want to go further and be an embedded systems engineer

[@aibasei3254]

So even in 2033 c would be usefull I guess. Should I learn it instead of c++?)

[@kirtikumarbaba]

Title - "Is **** worth it" ? conclusion - well it depends and it depends on you....

[@Anonymous-hv7fh]

hi can you give me an advice? i'm in my first year in college , we're learning C i did some personal efforts and i learned all the basics and spend some time solving problems now what should i do? learning for example C++ or just continue to solve problems or is there another things to do?

[@avisingh7641]

Try and solve ashok pathak and read c in depth solve hackerrank leetcode and do data structures

[@Anonymous-hv7fh]

@@avisingh7641 Thnx bro

[@rjgonzalez8108]

I'm an aspiring embedded systems engineer. I have self-taught myself C and feel confident using it for embedded systems. However, I'd like to know, from your experience, how important are advanced data structures and algorithms for a successful embedded systems career. I understand most of the structures such as linked lists and queues and can implement some sorting algorithms. I know it can never hurt to understand them but would like to focus on what will get me a job first and then can continue learning more advanced topics. Thanks and advanced.

[@GreidiAjalik]

If you’re looking at entry level positions, you can probably get away with not knowing the advanced stuff, but it totally depends on the company you apply for and their standards of acceptance (I.e. FAANG is known for their higher standards). Personally my interviews didn’t have advanced algorithms or data structures for technical. Just some basic linked list stuff and some sorting algorithms and how to optimize those. Hope this helps!

[@rjgonzalez8108]

@@GreidiAjalik thanks!

[@robbietorkelsonn8509]

in 2022 it's probably better to know operating system concepts over advanced computer science building embedded linux systems has more to do with system administration then actual programming

[@lankapallisreedhar7867]

Hi ajalik please give me path to find out jobs in embedded software engineer as fresher

[@GreidiAjalik]

If you're still in school, go to career fairs and stuff... if not find and target people that work in companies that have embedded products and reach out to them or recruiters in that field.

[@lankapallisreedhar7867]

@@GreidiAjalik sir iam from india.my question is how can I do a job in foreign countries is there any path for me

[@zxnnightstalker2289]

using C is pain in the butt. Lack of abstraction is the worse thing ever in any programming language. C++ really shine the existance of C.

[@keatonhatch6213]

Well yea C isn’t designed to be an OOP language. And your view of abstraction is only focused of OOP concepts. Simply writing and calling functions is a form of abstraction. Back when C was written computers didn’t have virtually unlimited ram and cpu power(as well as todays embedded systems), and OOP written programs are notoriously large and CPU intensive. So saying an OOP language is better than C at writing low level programs on embedded systems is asinine.

[@zxnnightstalker2289]

@@keatonhatch6213 C++'s OOP is Zero Cost abstraction if without virtual functions. And doing all the things in pointers isn't good. C is still the best for embedded sys. But C++ can be used at that.

[@maximusfl3926]

@@zxnnightstalker2289 Not all problem solutions require OOP abstraction. C is a tool just like any other language. The C language also has a well defined problem domain. You use the correct tool for the job you are doing. Programmers need to learn when to use the correct tool in their tool box to solve the problem they are trying to solve. Different problems require different tools and solutions in order to be efficient. Just because you have a hammer does not mean everything is a nail...

[@zxnnightstalker2289]

@@maximusfl3926yep, I agree with you bro.

[@robbietorkelsonn8509]

in C ADT's are associated with files somebody should have thought you that you are supposed to make all data static and then use one file for one concept and use functions with or without static modifier, similar to how you would write private or public in C++

[@HydraHcker]

AI is the go-to now for solving software issues.

[@barath3956]

Bro! Does oops concepts useful for embedded software engineering??

[@GreidiAjalik]

Yes, depending on how you want to write your code :) I personally have a mix of C and C++ in our current code (low level drivers in C and application on top of it in C/C++). Don’t get me wrong, writing code in C isn’t bad, but many oop concepts are very helpful developing reusable and maintainable code. We use C# and Python to build apps to communicate with the MCU externally on the IoT level. I think it’s important to learn and write in modern languages to not fall behind in industry and not to stay stagnant. There’s also a new one, Rust, coming up for embedded :)

[@barath3956]

@@GreidiAjalik Nice reply man bro. Love from india..Is there any way o could contact you personally?

[@GreidiAjalik]

You can always contact me on LinkedIn , Discord, or IG!

[@barath3956]

@@GreidiAjalik Thanks brother!

[@akashghosh387]

Can I switch to Java after learning basics of C ,will it be easier for me?

[@GreidiAjalik]

Yes you can! Umm... it depends on you - in general, yes if it's your second programming language it should be easier to learn than your first one. Good luck! Cheers!

[@highway2heaven91]

Just wondering, which language do you use most often?

[@GreidiAjalik]

I use C most often on my current project at work, but every day I work with C, C++, Python

[@highway2heaven91]

How often do you use Python and which libraries do you use? I’m taking Python right now and I’m wondering which project would be closer to embedded software, the Web dev one of the Data analytics one.

[@jackgerberuae]

So, C++ is better than C?

[@GreidiAjalik]

I think it's a hard one to answer as it depends on the developer preferences....

[@prograMAnimus]

Nah mate, I'm a 4-Star C-Programmer, no need for C++ :^)

[@debihsofiane3229]

Thank you

[@GreidiAjalik]

No problem!

[@karthiknmurthy]

C is "Sea"

[@GreidiAjalik]

B is "Bee"

[@karthiknmurthy]

@@GreidiAjalik 😀

[@coskunoztemur7201]

Lord bless embedded C programmers....

[@i_youtube_]

C hash tag

[@msbanda2123]

👌

[@SubasSharma-b3e]

Real ibformation

[@TheAndrewMosley]

What kind of dog is that?

[@GreidiAjalik]

I'm not 100% sure, but I believe he is a chihuahua terrier mix dog.

[@adanjsuarez]

C hashtag!!!... hahahahaha