B Programming Language: Overview and
Essentials
1. Introduction
• B is a procedural programming language developed in the late 1960s by Ken
Thompson at Bell Labs.
• Predecessor of the C programming language.
• Key features:
o Minimalist design
o Close to assembly language for systems programming
o Designed for recursive, block-structured programs
2. Basic Syntax
main() {
auto x;
x = 5;
putchar('A');
}
• Statements end with newline or semicolon
• Functions are declared with the function name followed by parentheses
3. Data Types
• Only a few data types:
o int (integer)
o char (character)
o No separate float in early versions
• Example:
auto a, b;
a = 10;
b = 20;
4. Control Flow
• If-Else
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if a > b
putchar('X');
else
putchar('Y');
• Loops
a = 0;
loop:
a = a + 1;
if a < 5 goto loop;
• B uses goto for looping instead of structured loops in early versions
5. Functions
f(x) {
return x + 1;
}
main() {
auto y;
y = f(5);
}
• Functions can return integers
• Local variables declared with auto
6. Input/Output
• Basic I/O using getchar() and putchar()
char c;
c = getchar();
putchar(c);
• No standard library like in C
7. Arrays
auto arr[5];
arr[0] = 10;
arr[1] = 20;
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• Fixed-size arrays
• Array indices start at 0
8. Limitations
• No explicit type declarations for many variables (weak typing)
• Minimal built-in operations
• Designed mainly for system programming on early Unix machines
9. Legacy
• Direct predecessor to C
• Concepts like main(), auto, and putchar() influenced C’s design
• Rarely used today but important historically
10. Resources
• Historical reference: The Evolution of the C Language by Dennis Ritchie
• Early Unix manuals and archives
• Online historical programming resources and retrocomputing communities
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