# Cilk Plus

> Parallel programming extension to C and C++

**Wikidata**: [Q3374941](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3374941)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cilk_Plus)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/cilk-plus

## Summary
Cilk Plus is a parallel programming extension designed for the C and C++ programming languages. Developed by Intel and released in 2010, it serves as a dialect of the original Cilk language. The extension enables developers to implement parallel processing capabilities directly within C and C++ code.

## Key Facts
- **Developer:** Intel
- **Inception:** 2010
- **Instance of:** Programming language
- **Function:** Parallel programming extension to C and C++
- **Lineage:** A dialect of the Cilk computer language; influenced by Cilk and Cilk++
- **Predecessor History:** Derived from Cilk, which was originally established in 1994
- **Website:** http://www.cilkplus.org
- **Wikipedia Presence:** Available in 4 languages (English, Korean, Norwegian, Russian)

## FAQs
### Q: What exactly is Cilk Plus?
A: Cilk Plus is a programming language extension that adds support for parallel programming to the C and C++ languages. It is classified as a dialect of Cilk and was developed to facilitate multi-threaded processing.

### Q: When was Cilk Plus created and by whom?
A: Cilk Plus was developed by Intel and has an inception date of 2010. It was influenced by earlier iterations of the language, specifically Cilk and Cilk++.

### Q: How does Cilk Plus relate to the original Cilk language?
A: Cilk Plus is considered a dialect of the Cilk language. The original Cilk language was established in 1994, while Cilk Plus extends these concepts to C and C++.

## Why It Matters
Cilk Plus plays a significant role in the landscape of high-performance computing by bridging the gap between standard C/C++ coding and modern parallel processing requirements. As hardware architectures evolved to include multiple cores, developers required efficient methods to instruct machines to execute tasks simultaneously. Cilk Plus addresses this by providing a structured way to integrate parallelism directly into widely used systems languages.

The extension is historically significant as an evolution of the Cilk research language (originating in 1994), adapting academic concepts for broader commercial application under Intel. By standardizing parallel extensions for C and C++, it offered a pathway for software optimization without requiring developers to learn an entirely new language syntax, thereby lowering the barrier to entry for writing concurrent code.

## Notable For
- Extending two of the world's most widely used programming languages, C and C++, for parallel tasks.
- Being a direct commercial evolution of the 1994 Cilk research language.
- Backing by Intel, a major industry leader in hardware and software development.
- Maintaining a distinct identity as both a "dialect" and an "extension" within the programming language taxonomy.

## Body
### Identity and Classification
Cilk Plus is identified as a distinct entity within the domain of computer science. Structured properties classify it as an "instance of" a **programming language**. More specifically, it functions as a **dialect of the computer language Cilk**. It is technically defined as a **parallel programming extension to C and C++**, allowing for the integration of parallel execution instructions into these base languages.

### Development and Lineage
The development of Cilk Plus is attributed to **Intel**, with its specific **inception occurring in 2010**. Its design and functionality were directly influenced by two prior technologies: **Cilk** and **Cilk++**.
- **Cilk:** The foundational parallel programming language, established with an inception date of **1994**.
- **Cilk++:** A commercial implementation that preceded Cilk Plus.

### Online Presence and Identifiers
Cilk Plus maintains a historical digital footprint confirmed by several identifiers and web properties:
- **Official Website:** http://www.cilkplus.org
- **Wikipedia:** The entity has a dedicated article titled "Cilk Plus" and is available in four language editions: English (en), Korean (ko), Norwegian (no), and Russian (ru).
- **Database IDs:** It holds the Freebase ID `/m/0ddg_p_` and is categorized under the Quora topic "Cilk-Plus".

## References

1. Quora