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What was the name of the precursor to the C programming language? (self.trivia)

submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by ruffsl to c/trivia

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Bonus points if you also know:

How the language (allegedly) got it's name?
Which operating system still leverages the language today?

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[–] ruffsl 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Answer:

Indeed, the precursor to the C programming language is B!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_(programming_language)

Additionally:

Its name most probably represents a contraction of BCPL, though an alternate theory holds that it derives from Bon [Thompson 69], an unrelated language created by Thompson during the Multics days. Bon in turn was named either after his wife Bonnie or (according to an encyclopedia quotation in its manual), after a religion whose rituals involve the murmuring of magic formulas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_(programming_language)#cite_note-chist-2

B is almost extinct, having been superseded by the C language. However, it continues to see use on GCOS mainframes (as of 2014) and on certain embedded systems (as of 2000) for a variety of reasons: limited hardware in small systems, extensive libraries, tooling, licensing cost issues, and simply being good enough for the job.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_(programming_language)#cite_note-uwtools-13