History of C Language – C is a general-purpose programming language that was originally developed by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs in the early 1970s.
Here’s a brief history of the development of the C language:
- Development: The development of the C language started in 1969 when Dennis Ritchie began working on a new programming language at Bell Labs. The language was based on the earlier B language, which was developed by Ken Thompson.
- Portability: The C language was designed to be a portable language, meaning that it could be used on a variety of different computer platforms. This was achieved by creating a language that was close to the machine level but still abstract enough to be portable.
- UNIX Operating System: In 1972, the UNIX operating system was rewritten in the C language. This helped to popularize the language and made it more widely available.
- ANSI Standard: In 1983, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) began work on a standard for the C language. The resulting standard, known as ANSI C, was published in 1989.
- C++: In the 1980s, Bjarne Stroustrup developed an extension to the C language called C++. C++ added support for object-oriented programming and other features that were not available in C.
- Influence on Other Languages: The C language has had a significant influence on many other programming languages, including Java, Python, and Ruby. Many of the syntax and features of these languages were derived from C
C is still widely used in many areas of software development, including operating systems, embedded systems, and scientific computing. Its popularity can be attributed to its simplicity, flexibility, and efficiency.
C compilers
There are several compilers available for the C programming language. Here are some of the most popular ones:
- GCC (GNU Compiler Collection): GCC is a free and open-source compiler that supports several programming languages, including C. It is available for a wide range of platforms, including Windows, Linux, and Mac OS.
- Clang: Clang is an open-source compiler that is designed to be compatible with GCC. It is known for its fast compilation times and excellent error messages.
- Microsoft Visual C++: Microsoft Visual C++ is a compiler and development environment for the Windows platform. It supports both C and C++.
- Turbo C: Turbo C is a compiler and integrated development environment (IDE) for the C programming language. It was popular in the 1990s and early 2000s, but is now mostly obsolete.
- Intel C++ Compiler: The Intel C++ Compiler is a commercial compiler that is optimized for Intel processors. It supports both C and C++.
- Tiny C Compiler (TCC): TCC is a small and fast compiler for the C programming language. It is designed to be used in embedded systems and other situations where size and speed are important.
Let’s see the programming language that were developed before C language.
Also Read: History of Java
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