awesome-c-preprocessor

A list of awesome C preprocessor stuff

See also: "The Preprocessor Iceberg Meme".

Metaprogramming frameworks

• hirrolot/metalang99 -- Full-blown preprocessor metaprogramming.
• boostorg/preprocessor -- Boost.org preprocessor module.
• boostorg/vmd -- Boost.org VMD module.
• rofl0r/order-pp -- order-pp preprocessor library (standalone part of chaos-pp).
• rofl0r/chaos-pp -- chaos preprocessor library. this is what boost preprocessor derived from.
• pfultz2/Cloak -- A mini-preprocessor library to demonstrate the recursive capabilities of the preprocessor.
• pfultz2/ZLang -- A plugin framework for namespace macros in C/C++.
• mcinglis/libpp -- Functional-programming macros for the C preprocessor.
• mcinglis/macrofun -- Standards-defying functional-programming macros for the C preprocessor.
• gustedt/p99 -- Macros and functions for C99.
• davidgarland/ceano -- A collection of C preprocessor hackery.
• twhitehead/c99-meta -- Abusing the C99 preprocessor for meta-programming.
• metacall/core/source/preprocessor -- Preprocessor Library by Parra Studios.

C language extensions

• hirrolot/datatype99 -- Algebraic data types for C99.
• hirrolot/interface99 -- Zero-boilerplate interfaces for C99.
• orangeduck/Cello -- Higher level programming in C.
• CObjectSystem/COS -- C Object System: a framework that brings C to the level of other high level programming languages and beyond.
• small-c/obj.h -- A single-header supports OOP in pure C.
• shakna-israel/LetsDestroyC.md -- Let's Destroy C.
• yulon/clofn -- A closure function implementation for C.
• alexanderchuranov/Metaresc -- META data and RESource library for C language.
• Leushenko/C99-Lambda -- Purely evil preprocessor macros adding anonymous functions and closures to ISO C99.
• Leushenko/Pyrite -- BASIC-style "compiler" as C syntax library.
• emdash/goof -- A toy functional language created through the abuse of C.
• Qqwy/c_exceptional -- A simple Exception-handling library for C99.

Compilers/Interpreters

• BlueFlo0d/CSP -- Compile-time LISP interpreter on C macro preprocessor.
• cospplredman/PPLISP -- A set of 45 macros that allow for lisp-like preprocessor meta programming.
• Ferdi265/preprocessor_brainfuck -- A brainfuck interpreter using only the C preprocessor.
• orangeduck/CPP_COMPLETE -- Brainfuck interpreter written in the C preprocessor.
• mkotha/bfi -- A brainfuck interpreter on the C preprocessor.
• notfoundry/bf.h -- Brainfuck interpreter written in the C preprocessor.
• notfoundry/ppasm -- x86_64 macro assembler entirely in C preprocessor.

Debuggers

• ptaffet/preprocessor-debug -- Observe how the C preprocessor expands your complicated macros.
• notfoundry/ppstep -- Interactive C/C++ preprocessor macro debugger.
• messer-cpp/messer -- REPL for C preprocessor of C++17.

Other projects

• mcpp -- A portable C preprocessor.
• swansontec/map-macro -- A recursive C preprocessor macro which performs an operation on each element of a list.
• M4GNV5/CppFun -- Math in the C pre-processor by breaking up Numbers into arrays of 8 bits and implementing common operations on those arrays.
• ramdeoshubham/macros -- A collection of commonly used C MACROS.
• agrif/Makefile -- A horrible, horrible, wonderful C Preprocessor hack library.
• notfoundry/wtf.c -- 4-bit ALU metaprogrammed in C11's _Generic.
• kcning/binom -- C macro that computes binominal coefficient at compile time.
• ldionne/cisp -- A C preprocessor library implementing object semantics.
• rofl0r/thread_wrapper -- A thread launcher wrapper macro which removes the boilerplate and allows to call any non-void function as a separate thread (needs BOOST preprocessor lib, which is C compatible).
• 18sg/uSHET -- A Malloc-Free SHET Client Library for Microcontrollers (lib/cpp_magic.h).
• ScrimpyCat/CommonC -- Common utilities for C (CommonC/Template.h).
• cher-nov/Gena -- Generic pseudo-templated containers for C. Written entirely in C89 with design inspired by the C++ STL.
• DiscordPP/discordpp and DiscordPP/plugin-native -- A modular Discord library and a module for it that use macros to define Discord API endpoints and objects.

Articles

• 7 Scandalous Weird Old Things About The C Preprocessor by Robert Elder.
• Coroutines in C by Simon Tatham.
• IOCC "Best abuse of the C preprocessor" by Immanuel Herrmann.
• Metaprogramming custom control structures in C by Simon Tatham.
• Advanced metaprogramming in C by Martin Sústrik.
• C/C++ Preprocessor Metaprogramming by Saad Ahmad.
• The Love/Hate Relationship with the C Preprocessor: An Interview Study by Flávio Medeiros, Christian Kästner, Márcio Ribeiro, Sarah Nadi, Rohit Gheyi.
• Outperforming LAPACK with C metaprogramming by Oleksandr Kaleniuk.
• C Pre-Processor Magic by Jonathan Heathcote.

Jens Gustedt's Blog

Some worth-noting articles:

• Handling control flow inside macros
• Scope Bound Resource Management with for Scopes
• Detect empty macro arguments
• Default arguments for C99

SO questions

• Is the C99 preprocessor Turing complete?
• Can we have recursive macros?
• Overloading Macro on Number of Arguments
• The most useful user-made C-macros (in GCC, also C99)?
• Understanding DEFER and OBSTRUCT macros