C (programming language)

File:The C Programming Language cover.svg

==C (programming language) ==

C is a general-purpose programming language initially developed by Dennis Ritchie between 1969 and 1973 at Bell Labs. It was created to develop the Unix operating system and has since become one of the most widely used programming languages of all time.

History

C was developed as an improvement over the B programming language, which itself was derived from BCPL. The language was designed to provide low-level access to memory, a simple set of keywords, and a clean style. The first version of C was used to re-implement the Unix operating system, which was originally written in assembly language.

Characteristics

C is known for its efficiency and control. It provides constructs that map efficiently to typical machine instructions and has found lasting use in applications previously coded in assembly language. C is also known for its portability, allowing programs written in C to be compiled and run on many different types of computers.

Syntax

C has a relatively small set of keywords, including:

• int
• char
• float
• double
• if
• else
• while
• for
• return

Data Types

C supports several basic data types:

• int
• char
• float
• double
• void

Operators

C includes a variety of operators, such as:

• Arithmetic operators
• Relational operators
• Logical operators
• Bitwise operators
• Assignment operators

Control Flow

C provides several control flow statements:

• if
• else
• switch
• while
• for
• do-while

Standard Library

The C standard library provides numerous built-in functions for performing input/output, memory management, string manipulation, and other tasks. Some of the most commonly used header files include:

• stdio.h
• stdlib.h
• string.h
• math.h

Influence

C has had a significant influence on many other programming languages, including:

• C++
• C#
• Java
• JavaScript
• Objective-C
• PHP
• Python

Applications

C is widely used in various domains, including:

• Operating systems
• Embedded systems
• System software
• Application software
• Game development

See Also

• C++
• C#
• Java (programming language)
• Python (programming language)
• Programming language
• Software development