Clibx: My C library
I Built My Own C Library Because I Wanted To
I didn’t do it, because there is no other like this. I just wanted to have a library that was truly mine.
That’s clibx.
It’s Just Fun to Build Things
Programmers often feel pressured to explain why they build something from scratch. The first question is always, “Why not just use X?” It can feel like you should be embarrassed if you don’t have a perfect answer.
I don’t agree with that. Building things is the point. Writing a C utility library, designing the API, deciding what belongs in it, writing the manpages, making it installable, is truly enjoyable. You learn a lot. You create something that shows how you think about code, not how a committee did fifteen years ago.
clibx has string helpers, memory macros, a hash map, a linked list, path utilities, a dynamic array, and logging. The usual features. But it also has a printf implementation that uses raw Linux syscalls and zero libc-because I wanted to write it, and understanding what’s underneath printf is interesting.
Owning Your Tools
There’s a version of software development where you’re just a curator of other people’s libraries. You choose the right packages, connect them, and ship. That’s fine, but it’s different from making something.
With clibx, I know exactly how everything works because I wrote it. If I want to change something, I simply change it. If I want to add something unusual, I add it. There’s no issue tracker to file, no maintainer to convince, and no API stability promise to consider.
That kind of control is undervalued. Most software I use is a black box. This one isn’t.
It’s Also Just a Good Exercise
Writing a library makes you think about things you often skip when writing application code. API design. Ownership rules-who allocates, who frees. Portability. Documentation. When it’s a library, the interface matters in a way it doesn’t when you’re the only user.
clibx ended up cleaner because of that pressure. The imaginary user-even if that user is just future me-made me more straightforward about the design.