History Of C Language | Origin Timeline, Working, Example & More

Dennis Ritchie developed the C programming language in 1972 at AT&T Bell Laboratories USA as a system implementation language. Currently, it is a general-purpose, high-level language that remains evergreen and is widely recognized as the base language/ foundation for numerous other advanced programming languages.

This robust language is often called the 'mother of programming languages'. In this article, you will learn all about the history of C language, its development/ evolution, some salient features, and an example of a basic C program.

An Introduction To C Programming Language

Before diving into the history of C language, it's essential to understand why it remains a popular language widely used across sectors to date.

One of C's most powerful features is its proximity to the operating system, allowing developers easy access to system-level resources, such as low-level memory access and high-level memory mechanisms.
This makes C an efficient middle-level programming language, ideal for tasks ranging from operating system development to embedded systems.
C is also highly versatile, making it suitable for complex data manipulation software, like database systems or 3D animation engines. Its closeness to the hardware also makes it an ideal choice for low-level development, such as operating system development, kernel development, embedded systems, etc.
Other additional features of the language, like its flexibility, portability, structured programming approach, and extensive library functions, further enhance its utility. These make C a reliable programming language that has stood the test of time without an expiry date.

Despite the advent of languages tailored for specific tasks, C remains unparalleled in performance and the language of choice for system-level programming. It is a general-purpose and procedural-oriented programming language with countless applications in operating systems, network drivers, language compilers, language interpreters, and system utilities.

Even today, companies like Meta (formerly Facebook) continue to use C and C++ in their applications because of their lower disk space usage and better performance. As you must know, C++ is an extension of C developed by Bjarne Stroustrup at the AT&T Bell Laboratory.
C-powered devices are playing a vital role in sectors such as manufacturing, information technology, and healthcare, and they are likely to continue doing so for many years to come.
Many educational institutions still use C to teach fundamental programming concepts, as understanding C provides a solid foundation for mastering other languages.

The C programming language remains a powerful and highly adaptable tool for software developers across a wide variety of applications. Despite the unfolding of new programming languages, C continues to rule the world.

History Of C Programming Language

Below is the timeline history of C language, showcasing the hierarchy of programming languages that existed before C was created.

ALGOL 60 (Algorithmic Language): The development of the C programming language can be traced back to its ancestral roots in the 1960s. The story begins with ALGOL 60 (Algorithmic Language), introduced in 1960, which was the first programming language to use a block structure, influencing future languages.
BCPL (Basic Combined Programming Language): Building on ALGOL, Martin Richards developed a typeless language BCPL in 1966. It was a high-level language designed for system programming.
B Language: In 1969-70, Ken Thompson created the B programming language, inspired by BCPL, while working on the Unix operating system at Bell Labs. B was a simplified language that, while useful, lacked some essential features for system-level programming.
Development Of C Langauge: Recognizing the limitations of B, Dennis Ritchie at AT&T Bell Labs began developing the C language in 1972. This marks a important milestone in the history of C language.
Ritchie leveraged the foundations laid by BCPL and B, which introduced powerful features such as data types, structures, and improved memory management. These enhancements made C more efficient and versatile, capable of handling both system and application programming.

C was initially used to re-implement the Unix operating system, which was rewritten in C from assembly language. It quickly gained popularity for its portability and efficiency. This marked another significant milestone in the history of C, as Unix's success contributed to the widespread adoption of C.

Other major milestones in C's history include:

The development of the Unix operating system started in 1969. With the development of C completed in 1972, it was used to rewrite Unix.
Oracle, the most widely used relational database management system (RDBMS), began its development in 1977. In 1983, its code was rewritten from assembly language to C programming language.
ANSI C standardization process for C language began in 1983, leading to the first official standard (ANSI C) in 1989.
In 1991, Linux, a Unix-like operating system was developed using the C programming language. After almost a year of development, it was released under the GNU license and used as part of the GNU operating system. This further cemented C's role in system programming.
C99 standard was released in 1999, introducing new features such as inline functions, variable-length arrays, and additional data types.

All in all, the C language was designed as a general-purpose programming language that helps in system programming as well as application programming. The timeline below gives a snapshot view of milestones in the history of C language.

The Problems In B Language | How It Started

As we've mentioned in the timeline of the history of C langueg aboce, the development of C was driven by the need to address the shortcomings of its predecessors (B abd BCPL), particularly the B.

The B language has a great influence on the growth of C programming language through its implementation. So any discussion on the history of C language is incomplete without addressing the issues faced with the predecessor language.

C's syntax was influenced by the B which was simpler and more straightforward but had fewer features than C.
The C langauge also featured a compiler-based approach, i.e, it needs a compiler to compile the source file and give an object file.
This technique made it easier for the C language to be compiled into machine code, making it faster and more efficient than other high-level programming languages at the time.

In a very short span of time, C language was getting popular as the "Mother language '' because it serves as a testing ground for new/ modern programming languages and concepts. Many of the concepts that were first introduced in B programming were later re-written and incorporated into C language, making it a more robust and powerful language.

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Why Should I Choose C?

1. Legacy:

Despite being over 50 years old, C remains one of the most widely used programming languages. It has served as the foundation langauge for many other languages, including C++, Java, Python, and others. The language's versatility can be seen across various domains such as operating systems (Linux), embedded systems, game development, and scientific computing. The enduring legacy of C is a testament to its robust design and its role as a cornerstone of modern software development.

2 . Portability:

C programming is a high-level language renowned for its portability, which has made it one of the most essential programming languages in the computer field. Its adherence to standards like ANSI C allows C programs to be compiled and executed on different platforms with minimal changes. Combined with its ability to offer low-level access to system resources, a broad library of pre-existing code, and excellent performance, C remains a dominant force in the computing world.

3. Raw Performance:

C programming is renowned for its raw performance, which is one of the key reasons it is still one of the most influential programming languages in the computer field, globally. Its low-level nature, manual memory management, hardware access, and compiled nature make it a popular choice for developing high-performance software. By allowing developers to allocate and deallocate memory manually, C helps prevent memory leaks and optimize resource usage, making it ideal for performance-critical applications like real-time systems and high-frequency trading platforms.

4. Relationship With Machine Language:

C programming maintains a close relationship with machine language, which is crucial to its continued dominance as a powerful programming language. Due to its low-level nature and direct access to hardware and memory, C is a popular choice for developing high-performance software that can be easily optimized for specific hardware configurations. This close alignment with machine language makes C an ideal choice for developing operating systems, drivers, and other system-level software that requires efficient and direct hardware interaction.

5. Flexibility:

C programming is known for its flexibility, making it suitable for a wide range of applications. It can be used to create interfaces between different programming languages, allowing them to communicate effectively. C’s vast library of pre-existing code and its ability to interact with both high-level and low-level code make it a popular choice for developing custom solutions across various domains, from system utilities to complex applications.

How Does C Programming Works?

C is a compiled programming language that is widely used for system programming, embedded systems, and other low-level applications. The process of creation and execution of a C program involves several key steps: preprocessing, compiling, linking, and executing.

Creating the Program: The first step is create a program using C/ to write the source code in a text editor or integrated development environment (IDE). This source code contains a set of instructions that define the program's behavior.
Preprocessing: Once the program is created, it undergoes preprocessing. The preprocessor is a tool that runs the source code to perform operations like inserting header files, expanding macros, and managing conditional compilation. This step helps streamline the code and prepare it for compilation.
Compiling the Program: After preprocessing, the program is compiled. The compiler translates the preprocessed source code into machine code, generating an object file. This is referred to as the compilation process. The compiled machine code is specific to the target architecture and can be executed by the computer's processor.
Linking the Program with Functions from the C Library: After compilation, the object file is linked with necessary functions from the C library. Linking combines the object file with other required libraries and modules to create an executable program. The C library is a collection of prewritten functions that can be used by C programs.
Executing the C Program: The final step is executing the program, i.e., code execution. The operating system loads the executable file crated in the previous step into memory and begins running it. It performs the defined operations until the program terminates or is explicitly interrupted.

Understanding these steps is crucial for developing efficient and effective C programs, as it allows developers to optimize and debug their code with a deeper understanding of how C programs are created and executed.

All Versions of C Language: A Timeline

Year of Release	Version of C Language	Major Changes	Description
1972	C	Initial version	The first release of the C programming language.
1978	K&R	First book publication, standardization begins	The first edition of The C Programming Language book was published by Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie. It is often referred to as K&R C, and it served as a reference for the language until a formal standard for the same was established.
1989	C-89/ ANSI C	Features such as function prototypes, void pointers, standard libraries, etc. were added.	The American National Standard Institute (ANSI) standardized the language (ISO/IEC 9899:1990 was the first international standard for the language).
1990	C-90	Minor updates and fixes	Minor revisions to the C89 standard.
1999	C-99	Variable length arrays, new data types (e.g., long long int), and inline functions.	Introduced new features for improved functionality and portability. (Formal standard- ISO/IEC 9899:1999)
2011	C-11	Multi-threading support, atomic operations, improved Unicode support	Expanded the language to support modern programming needs. (Formal standard- ISO/IEC 9899:2011)
2018	C-18	Minor updates and fixes	Minor revisions to the C11 standard. (Formal standard- ISO/IEC 9899:2018)

It is to be noted that while these are the official versions of the C language, different compilers, and platforms may have varying levels of support for these versions. Additionally, some features that are widely used in C programming, such as the use of the preprocessor, are not part of the official language standard. Moreover, some people consider the C-90 language to be the same as C-89, as the differences between the two versions are relatively minor. Similarly, some people refer to C17 instead of C18, but the 2018 version is the most recent standard as of the knowledge cutoff of this model.

Some Basic Commands & Structure Of C Program

Here are some basic syntax/ commands that make the structure of a C program.

Command/ Syntax	Description
#include <stdio.h>	This is the preprocessor directive which signals the compiler to include essential header files from the C library repository before the program is compiled. Here for example, the stdio.h file includes standard input and output.
int main()	Marks the entry point of the program where execution begins.
{	Opening Curly Braces: These are common to almost all programming languages and indicate the beginning of a function or a method.
/comments/ //	The text or information written inside the (/**/) or after (//) is not a part of the execution program. These are code comments the programmer leaves for reasons like explaining the code, etc.
}	Closing Curly Braces: They indicate the end of a method or function.
return 0;	This is the return statement where 0 indicates successful program execution and termination.

Basic C Program

Let's look at a basic C program example illutrating how to use the basic commands described above.

Code Example:

Click here to view code

Output:

Hello, World!

Explanation:

We begin the C program example by including the <stdio.h> header file for input-output operations.

Then we define the main() function, which is entry point for program exection.
Next, as mentioned in the code comment, we use printf() function to display a string message- "Hello, World".
Here, the newline escape sequence shifts the cursor to the next line once the string is printed.
Lastly, the main() function termiantes with a return 0 statement indicating that error-free execution.

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Different Types Of Compilers In C

C programming can be done using various compilers, each with its own strengths. Here are some of the most popular C compilers:

PCC (Portable C Compiler): One of the earliest/ initial C compilers which was written by Stephen C. Johnson in mid-1970s, at the Bell Laboratories. It is known for its portability across different systems
GCC (GNU Compiler Collection): While the PCC was popular in its day, it was replaced by the GNU C Compiler, which carried on the compilation process with greater efficiency in comparison.
- GCC is a widely used, open-source compiler that supports various programming languages, including C. It is known for its optimization capabilities and broad platform support.
- Another GNU compiler used for C was the MinGW compiler (formerly known as MinGW 32). It stands for the Minimalist GNU Windows compiler, which is an open-source/ free environment to create Windows applications.
Clang: Part of the LLVM project, Clang is known for its fast compilation speed, excellent diagnostics, and support for modern C++ features.
Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler: The default compiler for Visual Studio on Windows, offering integration with the Microsoft ecosystem.
Turbo C/C++: A legacy compiler developed by Borland, popular in the early days of C programming for its fast compilation speed and ease of use.
Tiny C Compiler (TCC): A lightweight, fast compiler known for its small binary size, making it ideal for resource-constrained environments.

TIBOE (The Importance Of Being Earnest)

Programming language popularity is a crucial indicator of the technological landscape, and the TIOBE index serves as an excellent tool to gauge current trends. The popularity of a programming language is often measured by factors such as the number of skilled engineers, available courses, third-party vendors, etc. The TIOBE index aggregates data from sources like Google, Bing, Yahoo!, Wikipedia, Amazon, and YouTube to calculate its ratings.

For businesses, keeping up with the TIOBE index helps ensure their software solutions are built using the most relevant technologies. For aspiring developers, it provides insights into which programming languages are in high demand, helping them focus on the most valuable skills for their careers.

Conclusion

The C programming language remains a cornerstone in the world of software development despite being over five decades old. Its simplicity, portability, and powerful low-level capabilities have cemented its place as the "mother of programming languages." From operating systems to embedded systems, and from game development to scientific computing, C continues to influence modern programming languages like C++, Java, and Python. Understanding the history of C langauge, its evolution, and core features provides invaluable insight into the development of modern computing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is C programming language?

C language is a general-purpose, procedural programming language developed by Dennis MacAlistar Ritchie in 1972. This also why Dennis M. Ritchie is known as the father of programming language C. It is a low-level language that allows direct access to the computer's hardware, making it a popular choice for system programming and developing operating systems.

Q2.Why is C programming language popular?

C is popular for several reasons. Its efficiency, portability, and versatility make it suitable for a wide range of applications. It also has a rich library and a large developer community, providing a vast amount of code and resources for developers to use.

Q3. What are the applications of C programming language?

C programming language has countless applications in areas such as operating systems, language compilers, network drivers, language interpreters, and system utilities. It is also used in embedded systems, such as microcontrollers and IoT devices, and complex data manipulation software, such as databases and 3D animation.

Q4. Is C language still relevant today?

Yes, C language is still relevant today. Despite the emergence of new programming languages, C remains unparalleled when it comes to performance and low-level development. It is still widely used in many industries, and many companies, including Facebook, continue to use C and C++ in their applications.

Q5. What are the advantages of using C programming?

C programming has several advantages, including its efficiency, portability, and flexibility. Its direct access to hardware resources allows for efficient system programming, and its structured approach makes it easy to maintain and debug. Its rich library and large developer community also make it a reliable and versatile programming language.

Q6. Is C language difficult to learn?

C programming can be challenging to learn for beginners, especially those without prior programming experience. However, with dedication and practice, it is a rewarding language to master. Many online resources, tutorials, and courses are available to help beginners learn C programming language.

Q7. How has the C language evolved over time?

The C language has evolved significantly since its initial release. One of the most significant changes was the introduction of the ANSI C standard in 1989, which added several new features to the language and helped to standardize its syntax. In 1999, the C99 standard was released, which added even more new features.

Q8. Are there any copyright issues associated with the C language?

No, the C language is not subject to copyright protection. However, certain libraries and tools that are commonly used with C may be subject to copyright, so it is important to ensure that you are using them properly.

Q9. Are there any popular frameworks or libraries available for the C language?

Yes, there are several popular frameworks and libraries available for the C language, including the GNU C Library (Glibc), the Standard C Library (Libc), and the Curses library for creating text-based user interfaces.

Q10. What is the future of the C language?

It is likely that the C language will continue to be an important language for system programming and low-level applications for the foreseeable future. While newer languages may offer more advanced features and functionality, the speed and efficiency of C make it a valuable tool for many applications.

This concludes our discussion on history of C langauge. Do read the following for more information on C programming:

Shivani Goyal

Manager, Content

I am an economics graduate using my qualifications and life skills to observe & absorb what life has to offer. A strong believer in 'Don't die before you are dead' philosophy, at Unstop I am producing content that resonates and enables you to be #Unstoppable. When I don't have to be presentable for the job, I'd be elbow deep in paint/ pencil residue, immersed in a good read or socializing in the flesh.