Questions tagged [c]
C is a general-purpose computer programming language used for operating systems, games and other high performance work.
1,319
questions
6
votes
2
answers
513
views
When the stack frames become computationally expensive
I've been experimenting with different data structures and algorithms in Python, Java and C to see in what circumstances function/method inlining could bring meaningful gains in terms of the execution ...
- 171
2
votes
1
answer
103
views
C++: Good approach to handle libxml2 resource management in a wrapper
I try to write a C++ wrapper to a well-known C library, libxml2. In libxml2, an xmlDocPtr represent an XML document and xmlNodePtr represents a node. An xmlDocPtr contains a root xmlNodePtr and every ...
2
votes
3
answers
179
views
How to decouple spagheti code for unit tests [duplicate]
A little background on the project: we as a company receive a spaghetti source code, and into that we add even more spaghetti code. So with that I want to say that
complete restructuring and ...
0
votes
4
answers
388
views
Is it a bad practice to return an enum without an enum return type?
I'm specifically asking about C.
Example:
enum numbers {
EVEN,
ODD
};
int isFiveEvenOrOdd(void) {
if (5 % 2 == ODD) return ODD;
else return EVEN;
}
int main(void) {
printf("%...
- 29
4
votes
4
answers
994
views
Is updating a macro value in the Xcode preprocessor's macros violating the open–closed principle?
For example, for some Xcode projects, if I have some places that defines a number at some .cpp files:
const int PAGE_MAX=5;
and a new requirement comes that needs to change PAGE_MAX, I need to modify ...
- 2,105
2
votes
4
answers
325
views
How would I go about writing my own implementation of Win32 functions?
So I am currently coding a C program for Windows and come across a little bit of a problem. I've been compiling using the mingw-w64 toolchain. In my program, I am attempting to remove as many ...
- 55
0
votes
1
answer
129
views
Elegant way in C to store many parameters with default value and current value in embedded flash
I'm programming an embedded system that has a number of user configurable parameters, which are stored in flash memory. I have to store a default value for each parameter as well as the user settings. ...
- 175
2
votes
1
answer
235
views
C++ vs C console output idioms
I'm struggling to understand pros and cons of the C++ and C approaches to console output. C++ uses the stream approach with concatenation of operator<<, while for "C approach" I mean a ...
- 159
0
votes
2
answers
177
views
How might encapsulated source be broken into into multiple files?
I have a project where there is a primary, high-level, opaque struct with many functions that operate on it. Maybe I am simulating a CPU.
How might the corresponding source code be organized?
One way ...
- 131
1
vote
2
answers
145
views
How to handle errors of pthreads fundamental lock und unlock functions?
I am writing a little C library for the Raspberry Pi for controlling 433MHz transmitters/receivers. While receiving data the whole application would block, so I decided to put this code into a ...
- 21
25
votes
2
answers
6k
views
Why is the term "string" so often abbreviated as "sz"?
A pattern I have noticed in many big C and C++ programs - including Microsoft Windows (REG_SZ type in Registry) and Valve's Source SDK (names of practically every string variable) - is that "sz&...
- 613
3
votes
2
answers
605
views
Maintaining global states in a recursive function
I am writing a recursive function. Some of the parameter data is different for each recursive call but some of the data only need to have one copy existing at any one time during the recursive call. ...
- 1,189
0
votes
0
answers
56
views
Are type, constant/static/global, and pointer prefixes still necessary in C coding standards, considering the capabilities of modern IDEs? [duplicate]
Our coding standards for C include various prefixes for data types, constants, static/global variables, and pointers. These prefixes were originally introduced for code review purposes, but with the ...
- 127
21
votes
4
answers
9k
views
In C, if I am passing a file descriptor to a function, should I close it in the function or in the place where I called the function?
I have a situation like the following:
int fds[2];
pipe(fds);
// Write lots of stuff into fds[1]
close(fds[1]);
do_stuff(fds[0]);
// Should I close fds[0] here or at the end of do_stuff?
Which one ...
- 329
10
votes
5
answers
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views
Why is int in C in practice at least a 32 bit type today, despite it being developed on/for the PDP-11, a 16 bit machine?
For background, the question is to prepare some training material, which should also should explain a bit why the things are the way they are.
I tried to get some idea of how C began based on this ...
- 257