Giving C a Superpower
6 days ago
- #performance optimization
- #memory safety
- #C programming
- Introduction to safe_c.h, a custom C header file designed to enhance C's safety and convenience by borrowing features from C++ and Rust.
- Discussion on C's love-hate relationship, highlighting its raw speed and simplicity versus its potential for memory leaks and undefined behavior.
- Explanation of how safe_c.h leverages modern C23 features like [[cleanup]] attributes for RAII (Resource Acquisition Is Initialization) semantics across different compilers.
- Introduction of UniquePtr and SharedPtr for automatic memory management, eliminating manual free() calls and reducing memory leaks.
- Use of Vectors and Views (StringView, Span) for safe, dynamic array handling and non-owning references, avoiding unnecessary allocations.
- Replacement of traditional error handling (goto cleanup) with Rust-inspired Result types and RAII for cleaner, safer code.
- Implementation of contracts (requires(), ensures()) for self-documenting, executable preconditions and postconditions.
- Safe string operations to prevent buffer overflows, replacing unsafe functions like strcpy with bounds-checked alternatives.
- RAII-based mutex locking to prevent deadlocks by ensuring mutexes are automatically unlocked when exiting scope.
- Performance optimizations using branch prediction hints (LIKELY, UNLIKELY) and efficient memory usage, comparing favorably to tools like ripgrep.
- Conclusion highlighting how safe_c.h enables writing fast, safe C code with minimal overhead, demonstrated through the cgrep tool.