The C language has been a programming staple for decades. Here’s how it stacks up against C++, Java, C#, Go, Rust, Python, and the newest kid on the block—Carbon. The C programming language has been ...

The best systems programming books focus on both theory and hands-on practice, making tough topics easier to grasp. They ...

Separating interface from implementation has many practical benefits. Here’s a simple way to do just that, in ANSI-standard C code. How do you organize medium-sized or larger C programs? Few C ...

“Normal” programmers can get away with the assumption that their C programs start executing from the main() function. But embedded developers need to know what happens before that. Lesson 13 explores ...

A note from the Editor in Chief: Scientific American is celebrating its 166th year. Given its history as the longest continuously published magazine in the U.S., it's probably no surprise that it has ...