.c files
.c file
C Source
Source code in C, the language most operating systems are written in.
What opens a .c file
- Windows
- Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, Notepad (built in)
- macOS
- Xcode, Visual Studio Code, TextEdit (built in)
- Linux
- Visual Studio Code, Text Editor (built in), Vim
What a .c file is
C dates to 1972 and still underpins operating systems, embedded firmware and the runtimes of newer languages. A .c file is plain text compiled by gcc, clang or MSVC into a native executable. Its companion .h header files declare what the code offers to other files, which is why C projects always come in pairs.
Converting it
A .c file is commonly converted to .exe, .o or .txt. It is a plain text format, so any text editor can open and edit it directly.
Details
- Extension
- .c
- Full name
- C Source
- Category
- Code and scripts
- MIME type
- text/x-c
- Created by
- Dennis Ritchie / Bell Labs
- Format
- Plain text
Common questions
- How do I open a .c file?
- On Windows use Visual Studio; on macOS use Xcode; on Linux use Visual Studio Code. Source code in C, the language most operating systems are written in.
- What is a .c file?
- C Source. C dates to 1972 and still underpins operating systems, embedded firmware and the runtimes of newer languages. A .c file is plain text compiled by gcc, clang or MSVC into a native executable.
- Can I convert a .c file?
- Yes. It is usually converted to .exe, .o or .txt, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.
Related pages
- .html — HyperText Markup Language A web page — plain text marked up with tags, rendered by any browser.
- .js — JavaScript Source The programming language of the web, in a plain-text file.
- .css — Cascading Style Sheet The text file that tells a web page how to look.
- .py — Python Source A Python program in plain text — needs the Python interpreter to run.
- .java — Java Source Java source code in plain text, compiled to .class files before it runs.
- .tsx — TypeScript Source (JSX) TypeScript with embedded JSX markup — the standard file type for React component
- .cpp — C++ Source Source code in C++, the language of games, browsers and performance-critical sof
- .php — PHP Source Server-side web code — it runs on the server, so browsers never see the source.
- .cs — C# Source Source code in C#, Microsoft's language for .NET and Unity games.
- .go — Go Source Source code in Go, Google's language for servers and command-line tools.
- .rs — Rust Source Source code in Rust, a systems language with memory safety enforced at compile t
- .rb — Ruby Source Source code in Ruby, the language behind Rails and Homebrew.
Sources
- Media Types Registry — IANA
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place