C, a reference manual

This manual serves as a thorough guide to the C programming language, covering its syntax and semantics along with the standard run-time libraries. It also promotes a way of writing C that prioritizes correct, portable, and easily maintained code.

The book treats two versions of the language side by side. It documents the ANSI/ISO Standard C, which all current compilers support, and Traditional C, the dialect that developers relied on for two decades and that still runs in millions of lines of working code. Both the Standard and Traditional run-time libraries are included, so readers can work with either.

In this fourth edition, the ANSI/ISO coverage reflects ISO C Amendment 1 from 1994, which introduced features for building programs that work across international settings. Each language chapter also discusses compatibility with C++, helping software developers write C code that can be reused and ported across both languages. Co-authored by Samuel P. Harbison and Guy L. Steele Jr.