我一度对于C语言与C++是不是开源语言很困惑：为什么有那么多人鼓吹Java、Python、PHP等是开源语言，却没有人提C与C++开源与否呢？今天在stackoverflow上找到了几个比较满意的回答，特写篇博文总结一下老外的回答，也供各位对此问题持疑问态度的朋友一个参考。

　　关于C语言开源与否：

　　C语言是一个由ISO组织中的ANSI制定的标准，任何个人或者组织都可以根据这个标准将其实现。现今，世界上有许多不同的C语言实现，比较著名的有：GCC、Watcom、MS C等，其中前两者是开源的，后者是闭源的。下面粘贴几个老外的回答（原回答链接）。

The C language is not a piece of software but a defined standard, so one wouldn't say that it's open-source, but rather that it's an open standard.

There are a gazillion different compilers for C however, and many of those are indeed open-source. The most notable example is GCC's C compiler, which is all under the GNU General Public License (GPL), an open-source license.

There are more options. Watcom is open-source, for instance. There is no shortage of open-source C compilers, but without a doubt the most widespread one, at least in the non-Windows world, is GCC.

For Windows, your best bet is probably Watcom or GCC by using Cygwin or MinGW.

 

C is a standard which specifies how C compilers should generate programs.

C itself doesn't have any source code, just like a musical note doesn't have any plastic.

Some C compilers, such as GCC, are open source.

 

C is just a language, and a standardised one at that, too. It pretty much is the compiler that "does all the work". Different compilers did have different dialects; before the the C99 ANSI standard, you had things like Borland C and other competing compilers, that implemented the C language in their own fantastic ways.
 
stdlib is just an agreed-upon collection of standard libraries that are required to be present in any ANSI C implementation.

 

        关于C++开源与否：

　　与C语言类似，C++也是由ISO/ANSI制定的一个标准，所谓的“官方”并未給出确切的实现，任何组织与个人都可以根据标准自己开发一个C++编译器出来。出名的C++编译器有：GCC/G++、libc/libc++、clang（++）、 Visual studio和MS´ runtime等。也把老外的几个回答贴出来（原回答链接）。

C++ itself is only a description what the language should be,
without a definite implementation.
Anyone can make his own implementations (compiler etc, runtime library, ...)
and call it C++ if it fits to the description.

http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/

And if a implementation is open source depends on the creator.

Examples of implementation (parts):
GCC/G++, libc/libc++, clang (++ too), Visual studio and MS´ runtime...

 

C++ is developed by an ISO standard committee. There's also a C++ foundation that runs a web site you might want to read.

C++ itself is a language, not a specific implementation, so there's no source code available for the standard/language itself.

Some C++ implementations are open source (e.g., Gnu and Clang).

 

1. C++ is a code standard defined by the International Organization of Standardization (ISO). There are many different implementations of the language, but they all tend to conform to C++11. Unlike Linux or Qt, C++ is just a standard, and to use any code written in the language you'll need a compiler. The major compilers (list from Wikipedia) are LLVM Clang, GCC, Microsoft Visual C++, and the Intel C++ Compiler.
2. C++ revisions are dealt with by ISO, and are influenced primarily by the maintainers of the above four implementations.
3. Clang and GCC are both open-source, I'm sure if you poke around you can find other conforming compilers but those are the two most used.

 

        总之，跟Java、Python和PHP这样所谓的开源语言不同，C语言与C++没有官方提供的各自确切的实现代码（库），ISO/ANSI仅仅提供了C和C++的标准。