C

C is a general-purpose programming language created in the 1970s by Dennis Ritchie. By design, C gives programmers relatively direct access to the features of typical CPU architectures, customized for the target instruction set. It has been and continues to be used to implement operating systems, device drivers, and protocol stacks, though its use in application software is decreasing. C is used on computers ranging from supercomputers to microcontrollers and embedded systems. Wikipedia

Created Year: 1972
Designed by: Bell Labs
Developed by: International Organization for Standardization • American National Standards Institute • Bell Labs • Q1107006 • Dennis M. Ritchie
Operating systems: Microsoft Windows • Unix-like operating system • cross-platform
Aliases: C programming language
File extensions: c, h

Wikidata: Q15777

Influenced: Alef • AMPL • AWK • Ballerina • BitC • C++ • C-- • C shell • C3 • Chaos • Chapel • Charm • Cilk • Claire • Concurrent C • Crystal • Cyclone • C# • D • eC • EventScripts • FreeBASIC • GNU Awk • Go • Handel-C • HolyC • Java • JavaScript • JS++ • Julia • Limbo • Linden Scripting Language • LPC • Maya Embedded Language • MIVA Script • Mojo • Monkey X • NCL • nesC • Newsqueak • Next Byte Codes • Not eXactly C • Not Quite C • Objective-C • Odin • Perl • PHP • Pike • Processing • Python • Ratfor • Ring • S • Scol • Seed7 • SolidThinking Embed • Swift (parallel scripting language) • THINK C • Vala • Whiley • Wolfram Language • Zig • ZPL

Influenced by: ALGOL • assembly language • B • BCPL • CPL • Fortran • PL/I

Programming paradigms: procedural programming • multi-paradigm programming • structured programming • imperative programming

Language types: multi-paradigm programming language • procedural programming language • imperative programming language • structured programming language • compiled language

C Influence Network

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Hello World in C

#include <stdio.h>

int main(void) {
	printf("Hello World\n");
}

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Latest data update: 2026-07-25