What is C Language?
C is a general-purpose, procedural programming language created by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs in 1972. It is called the Mother of All Programming Languages because C++, Java, Python, PHP — all modern languages are built on C concepts.
Why Learn C in 2025?
- Foundation of all programming — understand HOW computers work at the core level
- Used in OS kernels — Linux, Windows, macOS kernels are written in C
- Fastest language — compiles directly to machine code, no interpreter
- Embedded systems — Arduino, IoT devices, microcontrollers all use C
- Best first language — once you know C, every other language becomes easy
Hello World — Your First C Program
c
#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
printf("Hello, World!\n");
printf("Welcome to CodeKaFunda!\n");
return 0;
}▶ Output
Hello, World! Welcome to CodeKaFunda!
History of C Language
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1972 | Dennis Ritchie creates C at Bell Labs |
| 1978 | K&R book "The C Programming Language" published |
| 1989 | ANSI C (C89) — first official standard |
| 1999 | C99 — new features added |
| 2011 | C11 — latest major standard |
| 2023 | C23 — newest version |
Features of C
| Feature | What it means |
|---|---|
| Procedural | Step-by-step top-to-bottom approach |
| Fast | Compiles to native machine code — no interpreter needed |
| Portable | Same code runs on Windows, Linux, Mac with recompilation |
| Memory control | Direct RAM access via pointers |
| Rich library | 200+ built-in functions: printf, scanf, sqrt, strlen... |
💡 Tip: C is ranked #2 in TIOBE Index 2025 — right behind Python. Used in billions of embedded devices worldwide!