This so called CCAN is missing the most important point of CPAN: Minimum code quality in terms, that code must compile same way, install same way, test itself same way, and have a documentation that describes how to use it. In addition CPAN provides extended code quality by PAUSE and CPAN testers.
Perhaps the site isn't clear, but this all exists.
1) All CCAN modules compile with by providing a config.h and compiling * .c (if any). Metadata (eg. linking requirements, other modules) is in the _info file.
2) These are not libraries, though they can be compiled like that of course. So install is outside scope.
3) Testing is done in the modules' test subdir. compile-ok* .c and compile-fail* .c tests are what you'd expect. run* .c are compile-standalone-and-execute-with-0 status tests. api* .c are compile-with-module-and-execute tests.
4) The documentation standard is in the form of parseable but human-readable comments in the header files and _info.
I think most of that needs to come from bottom-up, that is from contributors. Let us hope it generates a good community.
(A working "CCAN testers" would be wonderful for C code. People would want to upload stuff just to get compilation/test errors on different O/S versions, with small-/big-endian architectures, etc, etc.)
And that's a simple idea, done well (and helps me hit the usually untested code paths).
If I had to still work a lot with C (I mostly write bits wrapped in JNI/Python/PHP exts), I would say that the hashtable, list and INI parser would be bits I would never want to reinvent again.
I looked at some of the code and there are too many malloc()s for my liking. When I write in C++ (yes I know this is C) I always avoid malloc()s and new's. Eg let the language free the variable by going out of scope, use STL. I would like to see a library that follows those practices.
What will be the state and essence of C programming language in the forseeable future? Will it be as useful as it is today? Most importantly, will people use it for major projects?
I think C will continue to be basis unless a new system come out with some other language/platform (like Go) and this new system is proven to be more reliable and faster than C-based platforms. On the other hand, there are also politics of this choice, i.e. there are standards, industry groups, etc. all based on C. These are should be replicated on this new language/platform. Tl;Dr; All have to be start over again what we have since UNIX.
I'd be delighted to receive patches from someone who had better taste than I! It's all statically generated via PHP (again, not my choice, but it works).
Oh god agreed. The blog at least isn't blinding, but CCAN is.
I feel a bit like the kid who only likes the vidja-games with the fanciest, flashiest graphics but I basically won't tolerate anything less than modern style and typography anymore.
