.C File Extension
C/C++ Source Code File
| Developer | N/A |
| Popularity |
4.0 | 224 Votes |
| Category | Developer Files |
| Format | Text |
What is a C file?
A C file is a source code file for a C or C++ program. It may include an entire program's source code, or may be one of many source files referenced within a programming project. C files can be edited using a basic text editor, but will not show syntax highlighting like most software development programs do.
C programming language was originally developed to create Unix utilities by Dennis Ritchie in the late 1960s and early 1970s at Bell Labs. Since the 1970s, the popularity of C has grown and its use has widened. The language has influenced many programming languages, including C++, PHP, Perl, Python, Java, and JavaScript.
C++ is an extension of the C programming language and was released in the mid-1980s. It is used for creating many of today's software programs and may be stored in C, .CC, .CPP, .CXX, and C++ source code files.
NOTE: Some Unix compilers use a lowercase ".c" extension for C and an upper case ".C" extension for C++, although this convention is not common.
Common C Filenames
main.c - A source code file typically containing the main() function, or entry point, for a C program.