Fluent C
Principles, Practices, and Patterns
Published on 17. October 2022
306 pages
978-1-4920-9729-7 (ISBN)
Description
Expert advice on C programming is hard to find. While much help is available for object-oriented programming languages, there''s surprisingly little for the C language. With this hands-on guide, beginners and experienced C programmers alike will find guidance about design decisions, including how to apply them bit by bit to running code examples when building large-scale programs.
Christopher Preschern, a leading member of the design patterns community, answers questions such as how to structure C programs, cope with error handling, or design flexible interfaces. Whether you''re looking for one particular pattern or an overview of design options for a specific topic, this book shows you how to implement hands-on design knowledge specifically for the C programming language.
You''ll find design patterns for:
- Error handling
- Returning error information
- Memory management
- Returning data from C functions
- Data lifetime and ownership
- Flexible APIs
- Flexible iterator interfaces
- Organizing files in modular programs
- Escaping #ifdef Hell
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Book
11/2022
O'Reilly
€66.00
Available immediately
Content
- Cover
- Copyright
- Table of Contents
- Preface
- Why I Wrote This Book
- Patterns Basics
- How to Read This Book
- Overview of the Patterns
- Conventions Used in This Book
- Using Code Examples
- O'Reilly Online Learning
- How to Contact Us
- Acknowledgments
- Part I. C Patterns
- Chapter 1. Error Handling
- Running Example
- Function Split
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Guard Clause
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Samurai Principle
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Goto Error Handling
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Cleanup Record
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Object-Based Error Handling
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Summary
- Further Reading
- Outlook
- Chapter 2. Returning Error Information
- Running Example
- Return Status Codes
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Return Relevant Errors
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Special Return Values
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Log Errors
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Summary
- Further Reading
- Outlook
- Chapter 3. Memory Management
- Data Storage and Problems with Dynamic Memory
- Running Example
- Stack First
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Eternal Memory
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Lazy Cleanup
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Dedicated Ownership
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Allocation Wrapper
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Pointer Check
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Memory Pool
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Summary
- Further Reading
- Outlook
- Chapter 4. Returning Data from C Functions
- Running Example
- Return Value
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Out-Parameters
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Aggregate Instance
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Immutable Instance
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Caller-Owned Buffer
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Callee Allocates
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Summary
- Outlook
- Chapter 5. Data Lifetime and Ownership
- Stateless Software-Module
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Software-Module with Global State
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Caller-Owned Instance
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Shared Instance
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Summary
- Further Reading
- Outlook
- Chapter 6. Flexible APIs
- Header Files
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Handle
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Dynamic Interface
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Function Control
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Summary
- Further Reading
- Outlook
- Chapter 7. Flexible Iterator Interfaces
- Running Example
- Index Access
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Cursor Iterator
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Callback Iterator
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Summary
- Further Reading
- Outlook
- Chapter 8. Organizing Files in Modular Programs
- Running Example
- Include Guard
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Software-Module Directories
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Global Include Directory
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Self-Contained Component
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- API Copy
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Summary
- Outlook
- Chapter 9. Escaping #ifdef Hell
- Running Example
- Avoid Variants
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Isolated Primitives
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Atomic Primitives
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Abstraction Layer
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Split Variant Implementations
- Context
- Problem
- Solution
- Consequences
- Known Uses
- Applied to Running Example
- Summary
- Further Reading
- Outlook
- Part II. Pattern Stories
- Chapter 10. Implementing Logging Functionality
- The Pattern Story
- File Organization
- Central Logging Function
- Logging Source Filter
- Conditional Logging
- Multiple Logging Destinations
- File Logging
- Cross-Platform Files
- Using the Logger
- Summary
- Chapter 11. Building a User Management System
- The Pattern Story
- Data Organization
- File Organization
- Authentication: Error Handling
- Authentication: Error Logging
- Adding Users: Error Handling
- Iterating
- Using the User Management System
- Summary
- Chapter 12. Conclusion
- What You've Learned
- Further Reading
- Closing Remarks
- Index
- About the Author
- Colophon
