Get ready, get set, ...

• Click the Gitpod link at the top of this README
• Open example/quick_start/quick_start.c
• Press F5 (or select Debug and click the green start arrow to begin debugging)
• Step through the test code by pressing Alt+F11 (or by clicking the "Step Into" icon on the debug controls)
• Complete the test immediately by pressing F5 to continue
• The Debug Console will show the output of the test

Using your favorite IDE and C compiler, you can call the same test function as the quick start example. Here's how:

• Add "ACR/include" to your include paths
• Add "ACR/test" to your include paths
• Add "ACR/src/ACR/common.c" to your project
• Add "ACR/test/ACR/test/test_common.c" to your project

• Add #include "ACR/test/test_common.h" to the top of your C file
• Call the ACR_TestCommon() function as follows:

if(ACR_TestCommon() == ACR_SUCCESS)
{
    // OK, ACR library is ready for use
}

A set of C functions in a git Repository

To create a C library that makes easy things easier and hard things faster for beginners and experts alike.

• Great for beginners and experts
• Portable without trying
• Avoids dependencies whenever possible
• Explains everything in great detail; Documented to excess
• Learn what you never knew; Refresh what you always forget
• Fast when it needs to be; Safe when it doesn't
• Use only what you want; Leave the rest behind
• Object-oriented
• Zero unexplained warnings

The fastest way to learn how to use the features provided by this library is to look at the tests.

For example:

• Open the source file /test/ACR/test/test_varbuffer.c
• Find the main() function
• The functions called by main() are ordered from simple to advanced. In this case, StackTest() is the first function called so it is the most simple function in the test_varbuffer.c example

Note: All of the functions in each test are completely self-contained and can be copied into your own project with ease (just don't forget to also grab the #include header(s) from the top of the test file)

• Commonly defined values
  • main() function return codes
  • boolean and pointer values
  • common result codes
  • common math values and functions like PI and Circumference
  • common time values like seconds per day
• Endianess
  • automatic detection
  • byte order swapping
• 64bit memory
  • standardized types
  • max values
• Gregorian calendar
  • days of the week
  • months of year
  • real-time clock support via <time.h>
• Memory buffer, aligned buffer, and variable length buffer
• Floating point comparisons
• Basic UTF8 string handling and unicode conversion

Without adding a .c source file to your project, the include file "ACR/public.h" provides data structures and macros to help with many common tasks. Here is a brief overview of those:

ACR_DEBUG_PRINT interface to printf() that only writes messages to stdout when ACR_CONFIG_DEBUG is defined. see "TYPES AND DEFINES - DEBUG" for details.

ACR_BYTE_ORDER_16 ensures a value is stored ACR_BYTE_ORDER_32 in big endian byte order ACR_BYTE_ORDER_64 see "TYPES AND DEFINES - ENDIANNESS" for details.

ACR_Buffer_t a simple struct with macros to handle allocation and freeing of memory safely. see "TYPES AND DEFINES - SIMPLE MEMORY BUFFER" for details. for ease of use see "ACR/buffer.h"

ACR_VarBuffer_t a simple struct with macros to handle allocation of memory safely while freeing memory only when necessary to grow the memory area. see "TYPES AND DEFINES - VARIABLE LENGTH MEMORY BUFFER" for details. for ease of use see "ACR/varbuffer.h"

ACR_String_t a struct for access to strings with support for UTF8 encoding. see "TYPES AND DEFINES - SIMPLE UTF8 STRINGS AND UNICODE CHARACTERS" for details. for ease of use see "ACR/string.h"

ACR_DECIMAL_COMPARE compare decimal values within a default tolerance of 0.0001 which is many cases is safer than performing a direct if(a==b) type of comparison because of possible rounding. see "TYPES AND DEFINES - DECIMAL VALUES" for details.

The public.h include file is used as a simple means to include all of the headers in the include/ACR/public folder. Many of these headers can be used on their own but some build upon another.

Any time something is defined in another file, a comment starting with "included for" will define what was used.

But, not everything can be done nicely in a single header file. That's why there are additional headers and source files to make easy things easier and hard things faster

It is common to refer to a header and a source file that work together as a "module". Here are a few of the modules that come with ACR:

Each file in the library has a place for contributors to add their name. It's really important to me that this library is open to best practices and input from the community. Thank you to everyone who has helped along the way!