What is the use of header files in C language?

Header files in C language serve several important purposes: 1. **Declaration of Functions and Variables**: Header files contain declarations of functions and variables that are defined in corresponding source files. This allows other source files to use these functions and variables without needing to know their implementation details. 2. **Modularity**: Header files facilitate modularity by providing a way to separate the interface (declarations) from the implementation (definitions) of functions and variables. This makes it easier to manage and organize large projects with multiple source files. 3. **Code Reusability**: By including header files in multiple source files, you can reuse functions and variables across different parts of your program without duplicating code. 4. **Encapsulation**: Header files help encapsulate implementation details by hiding them from external sources. Only the necessary interface information is exposed, which enhances code maintainability and reduces the risk of unintended modifications. 5. **Error Prevention**: Header files can help detect errors at compile-time by ensuring that function prototypes and variable declarations are consistent across different source files. This helps catch common mistakes such as misspelled function names or mismatched parameter types. Overall, header files play a crucial role in organizing, modularizing, and ensuring the correctness of C programs, making them an essential component of the language's development ecosystem. read less