Defer: Resource cleanup in C with GCCs magic
a day ago
- #GCC extensions
- #C programming
- #Resource management
- GCC's cleanup attribute allows automatic function calls when a variable goes out of scope, aiding resource management in C.
- Combining cleanup with GCC's nested functions enables a defer mechanism similar to Go, automating cleanup tasks.
- Jens Gustedt's defer macro uses cleanup and nested functions to ensure code runs at scope exit, simplifying resource cleanup.
- The defer mechanism handles early returns correctly, ensuring cleanup occurs before returning, without manual goto statements.
- Forcing cleanup functions to inline with always_inline reduces overhead, making the defer mechanism more efficient.
- This approach is non-portable, relying on GCC-specific extensions, but offers a cleaner alternative to manual resource management in C.