The economic advantages of portability in the computer industry are immense, with C being hailed as the programming language that will last forever since its introduction in 1978. The C programming language, championed by stalwarts like Dennis Ritchie and Stephen Johnson, has remained essential for 40 years, leading to the development of compilers such as the ‘GNU Compiler Collection’ (GCC) and LLVM / Clang. These compilers have revolutionized software development, with C being widely used and praised for its portability across different architectures and systems. The history of compiler design, starting from FORTRAN and the first Unix operating system, highlights the monumental impact of these vital tools in the realm of technology.
https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/a-history-of-c-compilers-part-1-performance