What languages are Windows, Mac OS X and Linux written in?

I was just wondering who knows what programming languages Windows, Mac OS X and Linux are made up from and what languages are used for each part of the OS (ie: Kernel, plug-in architecture, GUI components, etc).

I assume that there are multiple languages for each and obviously I know the Linux kernel is written in C.

I’m totally guessing here that Mac OS X contains a lot of Objective-C code as it is Apple’s language derived from NeXT.

Windows, I have heard contains C, C++ and Intel Assembly. Do Linux or Mac OS contain any Assembly code?

Also, are there scripting languages like Ruby, Python, etc used by the OS developers for scripting parts of the OS? What parts of the OS would be written in each language?

14 Answers 14

• Windows: C++, kernel is in C
• Mac: Objective C, kernel is in C (IO PnP subsystem is Embedded C++)
• Linux: Most things are in C, many userland apps are in Python, KDE is all C++

All kernels will use some assembly code as well.

Linux: C. Some parts in assembly.

[. ] It’s mostly in C, but most people wouldn’t call what I write C. It uses every conceivable feature of the 386 I could find, as it was also a project to teach me about the 386. As already mentioned, it uses a MMU, for both paging (not to disk yet) and segmentation. It’s the segmentation that makes it REALLY 386 dependent (every task has a 64Mb segment for code & data — max 64 tasks in 4Gb. Anybody who needs more than 64Mb/task — tough cookies). [. ] Some of my «C»-files (specifically mm.c) are almost as much assembler as C. [. ] Unlike minix, I also happen to LIKE interrupts, so interrupts are handled without trying to hide the reason behind them. (Source)

Mac OS X: Cocoa mostly in Objective-C. Kernel written in C, some parts in assembly.

Mac OS X, at the kernel layer, is mostly an older, free operating system called BSD (specifically, it’s Darwin, a sort of hybrid of BSD, Mach, and a few other things). almost entirely C, with a bit of assembler thrown in. (Source)

Much of Cocoa is implemented in Objective-C, an object-oriented language that is compiled to run at incredible speed, yet employes a truly dynamic runtime making it uniquely flexible. Because Objective-C is a superset of C, it is easy to mix C and even C++ into your Cocoa applications. (Source)

Windows: C, C++, C#. Some parts in assembler.

We use almost entirely C, C++, and C# for Windows. Some areas of code are hand tuned/hand written assembly. (Source)

Что такое управляемый код What is «managed code»?

При работе с платформой .NET вы будете часто сталкиваться с термином «управляемый код». When working with .NET, you will often encounter the term «managed code». В этом документе приводится пояснение этого термина и дополнительные сведения о нем. This document will explain what this term means and additional information around it.

В первом приближении управляемым кодом называется код, выполнение которого управляется средой выполнения. To put it very simply, managed code is just that: code whose execution is managed by a runtime. В этом случае соответствующая среда выполнения называется общеязыковой средой выполнения или средой CLR, независимо от реализации (например, Mono, .NET Framework или .NET Core/.NET 5 и более поздних версий). In this case, the runtime in question is called the Common Language Runtime or CLR, regardless of the implementation (for example, Mono, .NET Framework, or .NET Core/.NET 5+). Среда CLR отвечает за использование управляемого кода, его компиляцию в машинный код и последующее выполнение. CLR is in charge of taking the managed code, compiling it into machine code and then executing it. Кроме того, среда выполнения предоставляет несколько важных служб, таких как автоматическое управление памятью, границы безопасности, безопасность типа и т. д. On top of that, runtime provides several important services such as automatic memory management, security boundaries, type safety etc.

Сравните это с запуском программы C/C++, которая также называется «неуправляемым кодом». Contrast this to the way you would run a C/C++ program, also called «unmanaged code». В мире неуправляемого кода практически за все отвечает программист. In the unmanaged world, the programmer is in charge of pretty much everything. Сама программа представляет собой двоичный файл, который операционная система (ОС) загружает в память и запускает. The actual program is, essentially, a binary that the operating system (OS) loads into memory and starts. За все остальное — от управления памятью до различных аспектов безопасности — отвечает программист. Everything else, from memory management to security considerations are a burden of the programmer.

Управляемый код пишется в одном из языков высокого уровня, которые могут выполняться в .NET, например C#, Visual Basic, F# и других. Managed code is written in one of the high-level languages that can be run on top of .NET, such as C#, Visual Basic, F# and others. При компиляции кода, написанного на этих языках, с помощью соответствующего компилятора вы получаете не машинный код. When you compile code written in those languages with their respective compiler, you don’t get machine code. Вы получаете код промежуточного языка, который затем компилируется и запускается средой выполнения. You get Intermediate Language code which the runtime then compiles and executes. Язык C++ является исключением из этого правила, так как он позволяет создавать машинные неуправляемые двоичные файлы, которые запускаются в Windows. C++ is the one exception to this rule, as it can also produce native, unmanaged binaries that run on Windows.

Промежуточный язык и выполнение Intermediate Language & execution

Что такое «промежуточный язык» (сокращенно IL)? What is «Intermediate Language» (or IL for short)? Это результат компиляции кода, написанного на языках высокого уровня .NET. It is a product of compilation of code written in high-level .NET languages. После компиляции кода, написанного на одном из этих языков, вы получаете двоичный файл на базе IL. Once you compile your code written in one of these languages, you will get a binary that is made out of IL. Важно отметить, что IL не зависит от языка, выполняемого поверх среды выполнения. Для него даже есть отдельная спецификация, с которой при желании можно ознакомиться. It is important to note that the IL is independent from any specific language that runs on top of the runtime; there is even a separate specification for it that you can read if you’re so inclined.

После создания IL из кода высокого уровня вы, скорее всего, захотите запустить его. Once you produce IL from your high-level code, you will most likely want to run it. В этот момент среда CLR берет управление на себя и запускает процесс JIT-компиляции, используя JIT для преобразования кода из промежуточного языка в машинный код, который может выполняться на ЦП. This is where the CLR takes over and starts the process of Just-In-Time compiling, or JIT-ing your code from IL to machine code that can actually be run on a CPU. Таким образом, среде CLR точно известно, что делает код, поэтому она может эффективно управлять им. In this way, the CLR knows exactly what your code is doing and can effectively manage it.

Промежуточный язык иногда называют языком CIL или MSIL. Intermediate Language is sometimes also called Common Intermediate Language (CIL) or Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL).

Взаимодействие неуправляемого кода Unmanaged code interoperability

Конечно же, среда CLR позволяет пересекать границы между управляемым и неуправляемым кодом, и даже в библиотеках базовых классов объем подобного кода довольно велик. Of course, the CLR allows passing the boundaries between managed and unmanaged world, and there is a lot of code that does that, even in the Base Class Libraries. Это называется взаимодействием или межпрограммным взаимодействием. This is called interoperability or just interop for short. Все это позволяет вам, например, заключить неуправляемую библиотеку в оболочку и вызвать ее. These provisions would allow you to, for example, wrap up an unmanaged library and call into it. Но следует отметить, что после того как код пересекает границы среды выполнения, управление выполнением снова осуществляется в виде неуправляемого кода с соответствующими ограничениями. However, it is important to note that once you do this, when the code passes the boundaries of the runtime, the actual management of the execution is again in the hand of unmanaged code, and thus falls under the same restrictions.

Аналогично, C# — это язык, позволяющий использовать неуправляемые конструкции, такие как указатели, прямо в коде с помощью так называемого небезопасного контекста, указывающего часть кода, для которой выполнение не управляется средой CLR. Similar to this, C# is one language that allows you to use unmanaged constructs such as pointers directly in code by utilizing what is known as unsafe context which designates a piece of code for which the execution is not managed by the CLR.

5 best code writing software for Windows 10 & Mac

• Writing code is not so difficult as it may seem, especially when you have the right code writer software to help you.
• The Microsoft code writer solution is a free tool with over 20 supported file types.
• With a simple interface perfect for beginners, Adobe’s tool is a great code writer for Windows 10.
• A very useful feature of a code writer app is the auto-complete function that is present in many software choices that we have listed below.

• Photos
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• 3D models & infographics
• Many other artworks

Programmers and web developers alike see the world in lines of code. Day in and day out they read or write line after line of code to create programs or other elements.

If you fall in this category, and if you are a Mac or a Windows 10 user, then the software that we will be recommending will be a great addition to your device.

While some prefer using Notepad++ to write the codes, in some cases, what they need is a simple and lightweight program that will allow them to edit code pages or create them as easily as possible.

What are the best code writing software?

Adobe Dreamweaver

Topping out our list is a software tool that simplifies code writing to the point where you don’t need to know any at all.

Adobe Dreamweaver is a proprietary web development tool, and it is probably best known as a web design tool that doesn’t need to know any coding in order to create great websites.

Of course, those curious about the backend of things can always use Dreamweaver as a code writer as well. This makes the program highly recommended for both beginners and veterans alike.

The UI is incredibly simplistic, and the program’s library is filled with resources and templates that make code creation and editing extremely easy to pull off.

More so, the Dreamweaver integrates seamlessly with other Adobe programs like Photoshop or Premiere Pro, allow easy file importing.

Here are some of the advantages of using Adobe Dreamweaver:

• It can highlight your coding for quicker scans
• Extremely useful for beginners that have little experience coding
• Features code suggestions
• Coding is checked in real-time
• Can be tested for free for 7 days

Adobe Dreamweaver

Code Writer for Windows 10

Code Writer is a solid tool, and in this article, we’re going to cover the following topics:

Code Writer is a simple code editor for Windows 10 and Windows 8, and in this article, we’re going to show you some of its features and how to use it.

The autocomplete is a useful feature that many code editors have. Code Writer doesn’t have full support for auto-complete which can be a flaw for some users.

Just like other code editors on the market, Code Writer supports various keyboard shortcuts. Using these shortcuts you can perform various actions without having to open additional menus.

Unfortunately, Code Writer doesn’t have a built-in compiler, so if you’re looking for this feature, you might want to consider using a different application.

Here are some of the main features of Code Writer for Windows 10:

• It is a simple code editor
• Comes with a helpful autocomplete function
• Features a built-in compiler
• Support keyboard shortcuts
• Completely free

Notepad++

Notepad ++ is a software tool used for code writing that is probably as old as time itself. This tool has an incredibly simplistic UI, but the main feature is its readability.

This is because Notepad++ has a feature where it can easily recognize and then display various coding languages with colored syntax. This form of labeling lets users more quickly and efficiently read code.

More so, readability is further enhanced by the program’s detailed character location information. This, in turn, allows it to display the exact column space, line number, character selection.

Here are some of the best features of Notepad ++:

• Can open documents containing different coding languages
• Displays different coding languages using different colors
• Extensive plug-in support
• A very efficient auto-save feature
• It is completely free

TextWrangler

TextWrangler is a powerful text editor that is filled with many useful features, and it is also available as freeware.

The UI is made to be extremely easy to navigate and understand, and browsing files and project work is also made easy.

The program features several advanced search and replacement tools, and all the files and projects that you are working on can later be saved directly to FTP and SFTP servers.

The program comes with support for syntax highlighting of many programming languages, and you can even use it to transform the character encoding of text documents.

These are some of the main features of TextWrangler:

• Can easily double as a text editor
• Support syntax highlighting for many programming languages
• Features many search and replace tools
• An overall easy-to-use program
• Freeware license

Sublime Text

The last on our list is definitely not a code writing tool that should be underestimated.

Sublime Text is the epitome of what it means to be a cross-platform code editor since it is available for Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Besides the OS versatility, it has all the features you would expect from a powerful code editor and then some more.

Strictly from a visual point of view, it looks great, and you can even modify the appearance of the UI to suit your tastes even better.

The program’s core code editor is very advanced, as it features tools that allow you to autofill, autocomplete, reference function in a file, multiple selections, split editing, and much more.

Here are some of the main features of Sublime Text:

• Available on Mac, Windows, and Linux
• A very powerful code editor
• Sleek UI design that can be further customized
• It has several useful tools such as autofill, auto-complete, and more
• Can be tested for a Trial period

With the help of these tools, you should be able to read, edit and compile code all on your own, and some of the entries will even allow those with no coding experience to do the same.

If you have any suggestions or other software that we should include in our list, please leave us a comment below.