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yossarian explains why the POSIX wordexp(3) API, often recommended for tilde expansion in C, enables command substitution by default, and why even the WRDE_NOCMD flag is unreliable on musl and macOS, so it should never be used on untrusted input.
1 min · 258 words
Composite objects and C++26 the std::polymorphic type
Marius Bancila explains C++26's std::polymorphic, the companion to std::indirect for owning polymorphic members in composite classes, covering value semantics, copying, and how it simplifies strategy objects, AST nodes, and similar has-a hierarchies.
8 min · 1,888 words
Abner Coimbre describes how he writes modern C in late 2026 after C23: naming, headers, types, error handling, and the conventions he kept from older 'How I Write C' guidance while adopting new language features.
4 min · 939 words
C++ futures part 1: The mental model
Raymond Chen starts a series on C++ std::promise, std::packaged_task, std::async and std::future by modeling them as a single shared state he calls the source, and sketches how that source produces, stores and hands off a value or exception.
3 min · 688 words
I can't use generic lambdas at compile-time, now what?
Braden Ganetsky follows up his 'Break MSVC and Clang' post with a deep dive into working around a Clang bug that blocks using generic lambdas in constant evaluation, explaining how he got a compile-time C++ technique to work on Clang 16 onward.
16 min · 3,598 words
C++26 Contracts: Introduction to Preconditions and Postconditions
C++ Stories introduces C++26 contracts: pre() and post() on function declarations and contract_assert() inside functions, why they beat assert, the ignore/observe/enforce/quick-enforce evaluation semantics, compiling examples with GCC, const parameters in postconditions, avoiding side effects in predicates, predicate cost, and why contracts are not a replacement for input validation.
9 min · 2,052 words
C++26: the new debugging header
Sandor Dargo explains C++26's new <debugging> header from P2546R5 and P2810R4, which standardizes what projects like Boost.Test, Catch2, Dear ImGui and Unreal each reinvented: std::breakpoint, std::is_debugger_present and std::breakpoint_if_debugging, replacing platform-specific breakpoint macros.
2 min · 559 words
Using any C++ library in Godot
Using any C++ library in Godot Godot has become one of the most popular game engines of the last few years. It is free, open source under the MIT license, and small enough to download and start using in minutes.
10 min · 2,353 words
Needed 1+1, Built a Functional Programming LanguageFrom a data-structures homework tree to closures, a chunk allocator, and a mark-and-sweep GC in C
A playful systems write-up: starting from evaluating 1+1 as a binary tree, the author builds a graph-reduction language in C with closures, a chunk allocator, and a garbage collector that cuts fib(40) from 12GB to 1.7MB.
2 min · 422 words
Why C Strings Suck And How I Fixed Them
Elias Ebner explains how NUL-terminated strings work in C and why they cause bugs and inefficiency, then walks through a small single-file open-source C library built around length-carrying string view and owned string types, with design decisions, API examples and a note on unity builds.
16 min · 3,770 words
Understanding Cyclomatic Complexity
Erik Dietrich explains cyclomatic complexity in C#: how McCabe’s metric counts independent paths, why scores above ~10 hurt readability and testing, and how to use it without cargo-culting thresholds.
13 min · 3,093 words
Type Safe Generic Data Structures in C
Daniel Hooper shows a technique for type-safe generic data structures in plain C that uses unions to attach type information to a generic container, building up from a basic linked list and comparing it with macro and void-pointer approaches so the compiler catches type errors at call sites.
7 min · 1,691 words
Using `make` to compile C programs (for non-C-programmers)Original article link with an AI-written directory summary
A practical introduction to compiling C programs for developers who rarely write C themselves. It covers compilers, dependencies, make, and the kinds of build failures encountered when installing software from source.
1 min · 78 wordsagent-written
Memory AllocationOriginal article link with an AI-written directory summary
An interactive guide to the work performed by memory allocators. Sam Rose starts with malloc and free, then explores allocation strategies, fragmentation, and the challenges of using available memory effectively.
1 min · 75 wordsagent-written
A practical guide to writing C++ that actually uses the machine well—covering language and hardware basics, common pitfalls, and habits that keep hot paths fast without premature micro-optimization theater.
17 min · 3,904 words