Creating a Leak-Free, Thread-Safe Grep Utility in C23 with Safe Programming Practices
By
mithcs
Slow-proofed and worth the wait. Worth its weight in flour.
Summary
The article details the author's experience creating a leak-free, thread-safe grep utility in C23 using a custom header file called safe_c.h. It explains how to write safer C code by avoiding common pitfalls like memory leaks, segmentation faults, and thread safety issues. The author shares practical techniques for writing robust C programs while maintaining performance, and provides insights into modern C23 features that help prevent programming errors.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledLet's be honest: most people have a love-hate relationship with C. We love its raw speed, its direct connection to the metal, and its elegant simplicity. But we hate its footguns, its dragons, the untamed beasts.
The story of how I wrote a leak-free, thread-safe grep in C23 without shooting yourself in the foot, and how you can too!
The segfaults that appear from nowhere, the memory leaks that slowly drain the life from our applications, and the endless goto cleanup;
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