File extension C is used for C source code files. A C sample file is provided. Free C compilers are listed.

File Extension: .C

File Content: C source code.

What is C? C is a general-purpose, block structured, procedural, imperative computer programming language developed in 1972 by Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Telephone Laboratories.

C is the file extension for files storing C source code.

Software applications written in C need to go through three steps to be executed:

• Compilation - A C compiler is used to compile C source code into object code.
• Linking - A linker is used to link object code with library code into executable code.
• Loading - A loader is used to load executable code into memory to run.

C files are text files, which can be edited by any text editors. Here is a sample C file containing the source code of a very simple C application:

#include <stdio.h>
main() {
  printf("Hello world!\n");
}

C sample file: Click sample.c to download.

C source code stored in C files can be compiled by a number of free C compilers:

• The GNU Compiler Collection - Compiles C files. An open source software.
• Tiny C Compiler - Compiles C files. An open source software.
• lcc-win32 - Compiles C files.