C, Unix, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, The C Programming Language, Bell Labs, ANSI C, K&R, Software Engineering, Computer Science, Programming Languages, Kernighan & Ritchie (book), AT&T, Bjarne Stroustrup, Algorithm Design

C is a powerful programming language developed in the early 1970s by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs. It became popular due to its efficiency and flexibility, influencing many other languages, including C++. Brian Kernighan co-authored "The C Programming Language," a foundational book for learning C, often referred to as K&R. ANSI C standardized the language for broader use. Software engineering encompasses designing and maintaining software systems, rooted in computer science, which studies algorithms and programming languages. Bjarne Stroustrup later developed C++ to add features for larger projects, evolving programming practices and algorithm design.