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Nim vs C | Popularity, Salary, Performance, Features, and Applications
Nim is a modern, compiled system programming language that is easier to work with than C or C++.
If you are interested in embedded, hard-realtime systems, web development, game development, developing Graphical User Interfaces, you should learn Nim.
Nim is a statically typed compiled, high-level systems programming language. It combines successful concepts from mature languages like Python, Ada, and Modula.
On the other hand, if you are interested in building operating systems, device drivers, embedded systems, protocol stacks, game engines, telecommunications systems, compilers, you should learn C.
C is a general purpose programming language commonly used on computer architectures that range from the largest supercomputers to the smallest microcontrollers and embedded systems.
Comparing programming languages and choosing which one to learn or use for your next project can be tricky.
There are many factors to consider in order to choose the right programming language for the job you want to do.
Popularity, opportunities, type of projects, salaries, resources, learning curve, etc. are some of the factors that many people consider when comparing programming languages and choosing which one to learn or use.
Here are some of the comparisons and considerations you should make:
NIM VS C POPULARITY
Comparing the popularity of programming languages is not an easy task because each programming language is different.
Although the usage of many programming languages may intersect, different fields and projects may require the use of different programming languages.
Plus, other programming languages have been around for a longer time than others, giving them more time to be tried and tested, so, bear that in mind.
If you want to learn a programming language solely for its popularity among developers, you should learn C over Nim.
Generally, C is more popular than Nim. As of September 2023, the TIOBE INDEX ranks C as the 2nd most popular programming language while Nim does not appear in the top 50 popular programming languages.
According to a Stack Overflow survey of 2023, C is the 10th most commonly used programming language, it is used by 19.34% of developers.
On the other hand, Nim is the 48th most commonly used programming language, it is used by 0.38% of developers according to the same survey.
If your choice of which programming language to learn depends on popularity, you should learn C over Nim.
NIM VS C SALARY
Another popular criterion that many people use to compare programming languages and as an incentive to learn a new programming language is salary.
Salaries for developers differ from one company to the other and from one country to the other.
Experience is another factor that comes into play as far as salaries are concerned.
The more experience you have with a certain technology or programming language, the more likely you are to get a higher salary.
Generally, Nim developers get higher salaries than C developers.
The 2023 Stack Overflow survey of top-paying programming languages revealed that Nim developers get a median salary of $80,000 per year.
On the other hand, C developers get a median salary of $74,351 per year, about $5,600 less than Nim developers.
So, if the salary is your major incentive for learning a programming language, you should learn Nim over C.
You are more likely to get a higher salary as a Nim developer than as a C developer.
Here are 10 Programming Languages that Pay more than $90,000
IS NIM EASIER THAN C?
Yes, Nim is generally easier than C, especially for beginners or developers who are looking for a more approachable and modern language.
Nim is easy to learn and work with, it has an English-like syntax that is similar to Python.
Its syntax is easily understood and results in code that can be modified very effectively. This makes it very easy to pick up even for complete beginners.
Nim has a cleaner and more readable syntax compared to the somewhat cryptic and low-level syntax of C. Nim’s syntax is designed to be more user-friendly and expressive.
The good news is that there are a lot of helpful resources for both C and Nim to help you learn the languages.
The C and Nim communities are very active and helpful, in case you get stuck with something.
NIM VS C PERFORMANCE
Nim and C have similar performance. There are some cases where Nim is more performant than C and there are other cases where C is more performant than Nim.
Nim has modern concepts like zero-overhead iterators and compile-time evaluation of user-defined functions which lead to extremely performant code.
Nim also offers multiple garbage collection strategies, including manual memory management, reference counting, and more advanced garbage collection techniques.
This flexibility allows you to choose the most suitable approach for your performance needs.
Nim provides a high level of control over memory management and allows you to work at a low level when needed.
This can be useful for tasks that require fine-tuning memory usage and performance, such as systems programming or building high-performance libraries.
Here are some of the performance benchmarks
IS NIM FASTER THAN C
There are some areas where Nim is faster than C and there are other areas where C is faster than Nim.
Generally, C is more performant and faster than Nim. C is one of the few programming languages in which petaflops computations have been achieved, others being C++, Fortran, and Julia.
These languages are all known for their high performance and ability to scale to large numbers of processors.
They are commonly used in scientific computing and engineering applications, where petaflops-level performance is often required.
C has traditionally been known for its high performance, as it compiles to machine code directly and it gives you more direct control over memory.
NIM VS C FEATURES AND APPLICATIONS
NIM
Nim was designed to be efficient, expressive, and elegant. It supports foreign function interface with languages like C, C++, Objective-C, and JavaScript.
It also supports compiling to those same languages as intermediate representations.
Nim generates native dependency-free executables, not dependent on a virtual machine, which are small and can be easily redistribution.
The Nim compiler and the generated executables support all major platforms like Windows, Linux, BSD, and macOS.
C
C offers developers unparalleled low-level control over a computer’s hardware, memory, and system resources. This level of control is a defining characteristic of the language.
Programmers can manipulate memory directly through pointers and manage hardware interfaces, making C a natural choice for system programming, device driver development, and operating system kernels.
This control is essential in situations where precise resource management and interaction with hardware are critical, such as embedded systems and real-time applications.
C compiles to highly efficient machine code, which is one of its hallmark features. Programs written in C are renowned for their speed and resource efficiency.
This efficiency is crucial in performance-critical applications, including scientific simulations, high-frequency trading systems, and operating systems.
C’s close-to-the-hardware nature allows developers to optimize their code for specific architectures, resulting in the best possible performance.
SHOULD I LEARN NIM OR C
Once you have compared the languages and evaluated all the factors, you can choose which programming language to learn or use depending on the factors that are on your side and what you want to build.
If you want an easy-to-use, high-paying language for embedded, hard-realtime systems, web development, game development, developing Graphical User Interfaces, you should learn Nim.
If you want a popular language for building operating systems, device drivers, embedded systems, protocol stacks, game engines, telecommunications systems, compilers, you should learn C.
