C programming language

C Programming Language

The C programming language is a general-purpose, procedural computer programming language that was developed in the early 1970s by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs. It has since become one of the most widely used programming languages of all time, influencing many other languages such as C++, Java, and C#.

History

C was originally developed to implement the Unix operating system. It was derived from the B programming language, which itself was influenced by BCPL. The language was designed to provide low-level access to memory and to be efficient in terms of performance.

In 1978, Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie published "The C Programming Language", which became the definitive reference for the language. This book is often referred to as "K&R" C.

Features

C is known for its efficiency and control, providing:

• Low-level access to memory
• A simple set of keywords
• A clean style

C is often used in system programming, embedded systems, and applications requiring high performance.

Syntax

C has a relatively simple syntax compared to other programming languages. A basic C program consists of functions and variables. The main function is the entry point of a C program.

Example

Here is a simple "Hello, World!" program in C:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    printf("Hello, World!\n");
    return 0;
}

Standardization

C was standardized by the ANSI in 1989, which led to the ANSI C standard, also known as C89. Later, the ISO adopted the standard, leading to the ISO C standard, also known as C90.

Subsequent versions of the C standard include:

• C99: Introduced several new features, including inline functions, variable-length arrays, and new data types.
• C11: Added features such as multi-threading support and improved Unicode support.
• C18: A minor revision of C11.

Influence

C has influenced many other programming languages, including:

• C++: An extension of C with object-oriented features.
• Objective-C: Adds object-oriented features to C, used primarily in macOS and iOS development.
• Java: While syntactically similar to C, Java is a high-level, object-oriented language.

Applications

C is used in a wide range of applications, including:

• Operating systems (e.g., Linux, Windows)
• Embedded systems
• Compilers and interpreters
• Network drivers

See Also

• C++
• Java
• Python

References

• Kernighan, Brian W.; Ritchie, Dennis M. (1978). The C Programming Language. Prentice Hall.
• "C Programming Language." Encyclopædia Britannica.

External Links

• C Reference - A comprehensive reference for C programming.