---
id: kb-2026-00077
title: C Programming Language
schema_type: TechArticle
category: computer-science
language: en
confidence: high
last_verified: '2026-05-25'
created_date: '2026-05-22'
generation_method: ai_structured
derived_from_human_seed: true
conflict_of_interest: none_declared
is_live_document: false
data_period: static
atomic_facts:
  - id: fact-computer-science-001
    statement: Dennis Ritchie developed C at Bell Labs during 1971-1973, evolving it from B while adding types and other changes.
    source_title: The Development of the C Language
    source_url: https://www.nokia.com/bell-labs/about/dennis-m-ritchie/chist.html
    confidence: high
  - id: fact-computer-science-002
    statement: ISO/IEC 9899:2024 is the current ISO publication for the C programming language standard, commonly referred to as C23.
    source_title: ISO/IEC 9899:2024 Programming languages C
    source_url: https://www.iso.org/standard/82075.html
    confidence: high
  - id: fact-computer-science-003
    statement: The C Programming Language by Kernighan and Ritchie is the classic tutorial and reference book associated with ANSI C.
    source_title: The C Programming Language
    source_url: https://www.pearson.com/us/higher-education/program/Kernighan-C-Programming-Language-2nd-Edition/PGM54486.html
    confidence: medium
completeness: 0.92
primary_sources:
  - title: ISO/IEC 9899:2024 Programming languages C
    type: standard
    year: 2024
    url: https://www.iso.org/standard/82075.html
    institution: ISO
  - title: The C Programming Language
    type: textbook
    year: 1988
    url: https://www.pearson.com/us/higher-education/program/Kernighan-C-Programming-Language-2nd-Edition/PGM54486.html
    institution: Pearson
  - title: The Development of the C Language
    type: historical_paper
    year: 1993
    url: https://www.nokia.com/bell-labs/about/dennis-m-ritchie/chist.html
    institution: Bell Labs
secondary_sources: []
updated: '2026-05-24'
---

## TL;DR

C is a general-purpose systems programming language developed by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs in the early 1970s. It remains important because it combines a small language core with direct control over memory, layout, and runtime behavior.

## Core Features

- **Manual memory management**: allocation and release are programmer-controlled.
- **Pointers**: programs can work directly with addresses and object layouts.
- **Preprocessor**: macros and conditional compilation support portable builds.
- **Static typing**: types are checked at compile time.
- **Portability with care**: C is standardized, but low-level code still depends on platform details.

## Further Reading

- [ISO/IEC 9899:2024 Programming languages C](https://www.iso.org/standard/82075.html)
- [The C Programming Language](https://www.pearson.com/us/higher-education/program/Kernighan-C-Programming-Language-2nd-Edition/PGM54486.html)
- [The Development of the C Language](https://www.nokia.com/bell-labs/about/dennis-m-ritchie/chist.html)

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