Difference between write() and printf()

Question

Recently I am studying operating system..I just wanna know:

What’s the difference between a system call (like write()) and a standard library function (like printf())?

Answer 1

A system call is a call to a function that is not part of the application but is inside the kernel. The kernel is a software layer that provides you some basic functionalities to abstract the hardware to you. Roughly, the kernel is something that turns your hardware into software.

You always ultimately use write() to write anything on a peripheral whatever is the kind of device you write on. write() is designed to only write a sequence of bytes, that's all and nothing more. But as write() is considered too basic (you may want to write an integer in ten basis, or a float number in scientific notation, etc), different libraries are provided to you by different kind of programming environments to ease you.

For example, the C programming langage gives you printf() that lets you write data in many different formats. So, you can understand printf() as a function that convert your data into a formatted sequence of bytes and that calls write() to write those bytes onto the output. But C++ gives you cout; Java System.out.println, etc. Each of these functions ends to a call to write() (at least on POSIX systems).

One thing to know (important) is that such a system call is costly! It is not a simple function call because you need to call something that is outside of your own code and the system must ensure that you are not trying to do nasty things, etc. So it is very common in higher print-like function that some buffering is built-in; such that write is not always called, but your data are kept into some hidden structure and written only when it is really needed or necessary (buffer is full or you really want to see the result of your print).

This is exactly what happens when you manage your money. If many people gives you 5 bucks each, you won't go deposit each to the bank! You keep them on your wallet (this is the print) up to the point it is full or you don't want to keep them anymore. Then you go to the bank and make a big deposit (this is the write). And you know that putting 5 bucks to your wallet is much much faster than going to the bank and make the deposit. The bank is the kernel/OS.

Answer 2

System calls are implemented by the operating system, and run in kernel mode. Library functions are implemented in user mode, just like application code. Library functions might invoke system calls (e.g. printf eventually calls write), but that depends on what the library function is for (math functions usually don't need to use the kernel).