2023-12-11 20:30:44 -05:00
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# curl C code style
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Source code that has a common style is easier to read than code that uses
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different styles in different places. It helps making the code feel like one
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single code base. Easy-to-read is an important property of code and helps
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making it easier to review when new things are added and it helps debugging
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code when developers are trying to figure out why things go wrong. A unified
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style is more important than individual contributors having their own personal
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tastes satisfied.
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Our C code has a few style rules. Most of them are verified and upheld by the
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`scripts/checksrc.pl` script. Invoked with `make checksrc` or even by default
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by the build system when built after `./configure --enable-debug` has been
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used.
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It is normally not a problem for anyone to follow the guidelines, as you just
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need to copy the style already used in the source code and there are no
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particularly unusual rules in our set of rules.
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We also work hard on writing code that are warning-free on all the major
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platforms and in general on as many platforms as possible. Code that obviously
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causes warnings is not accepted as-is.
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2023-12-11 20:30:44 -05:00
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## Naming
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Try using a non-confusing naming scheme for your new functions and variable
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names. It does not necessarily have to mean that you should use the same as in
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other places of the code, just that the names should be logical,
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understandable and be named according to what they are used for. File-local
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functions should be made static. We like lower case names.
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See the [INTERNALS](https://curl.se/dev/internals.html#symbols) document on
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how we name non-exported library-global symbols.
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## Indenting
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We use only spaces for indentation, never TABs. We use two spaces for each new
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open brace.
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```c
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if(something_is_true) {
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while(second_statement == fine) {
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moo();
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}
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}
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```
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## Comments
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Since we write C89 code, **//** comments are not allowed. They were not
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introduced in the C standard until C99. We use only __/* comments */__.
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```c
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/* this is a comment */
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```
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## Long lines
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Source code in curl may never be wider than 79 columns and there are two
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reasons for maintaining this even in the modern era of large and high
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resolution screens:
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1. Narrower columns are easier to read than wide ones. There is a reason
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newspapers have used columns for decades or centuries.
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2. Narrower columns allow developers to easier show multiple pieces of code
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next to each other in different windows. It allows two or three source
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code windows next to each other on the same screen - as well as multiple
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terminal and debugging windows.
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## Braces
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In if/while/do/for expressions, we write the open brace on the same line as
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the keyword and we then set the closing brace on the same indentation level as
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the initial keyword. Like this:
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```c
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if(age < 40) {
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/* clearly a youngster */
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}
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```
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You may omit the braces if they would contain only a one-line statement:
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```c
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if(!x)
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continue;
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```
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For functions the opening brace should be on a separate line:
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```c
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int main(int argc, char **argv)
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{
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return 1;
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}
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```
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## 'else' on the following line
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When adding an **else** clause to a conditional expression using braces, we
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add it on a new line after the closing brace. Like this:
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```c
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if(age < 40) {
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/* clearly a youngster */
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}
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else {
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/* probably grumpy */
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}
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```
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## No space before parentheses
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When writing expressions using if/while/do/for, there shall be no space
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between the keyword and the open parenthesis. Like this:
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```c
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while(1) {
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/* loop forever */
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}
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```
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## Use boolean conditions
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Rather than test a conditional value such as a bool against TRUE or FALSE, a
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pointer against NULL or != NULL and an int against zero or not zero in
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if/while conditions we prefer:
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```c
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result = do_something();
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if(!result) {
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/* something went wrong */
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return result;
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}
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```
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## No assignments in conditions
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To increase readability and reduce complexity of conditionals, we avoid
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assigning variables within if/while conditions. We frown upon this style:
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```c
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if((ptr = malloc(100)) == NULL)
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return NULL;
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```
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and instead we encourage the above version to be spelled out more clearly:
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```c
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ptr = malloc(100);
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if(!ptr)
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return NULL;
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```
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## New block on a new line
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We never write multiple statements on the same source line, even for short
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if() conditions.
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```c
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if(a)
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return TRUE;
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else if(b)
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return FALSE;
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```
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and NEVER:
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```c
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if(a) return TRUE;
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else if(b) return FALSE;
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```
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## Space around operators
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Please use spaces on both sides of operators in C expressions. Postfix **(),
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[], ->, ., ++, --** and Unary **+, -, !, ~, &** operators excluded they should
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have no space.
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Examples:
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```c
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bla = func();
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who = name[0];
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age += 1;
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true = !false;
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size += -2 + 3 * (a + b);
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ptr->member = a++;
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struct.field = b--;
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ptr = &address;
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contents = *pointer;
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complement = ~bits;
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empty = (!*string) ? TRUE : FALSE;
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```
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## No parentheses for return values
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We use the 'return' statement without extra parentheses around the value:
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```c
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int works(void)
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{
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return TRUE;
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}
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```
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## Parentheses for sizeof arguments
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When using the sizeof operator in code, we prefer it to be written with
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parentheses around its argument:
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```c
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int size = sizeof(int);
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```
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## Column alignment
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Some statements cannot be completed on a single line because the line would be
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too long, the statement too hard to read, or due to other style guidelines
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above. In such a case the statement spans multiple lines.
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If a continuation line is part of an expression or sub-expression then you
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should align on the appropriate column so that it is easy to tell what part of
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the statement it is. Operators should not start continuation lines. In other
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cases follow the 2-space indent guideline. Here are some examples from
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libcurl:
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```c
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if(Curl_pipeline_wanted(handle->multi, CURLPIPE_HTTP1) &&
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(handle->set.httpversion != CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_0) &&
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(handle->set.httpreq == HTTPREQ_GET ||
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handle->set.httpreq == HTTPREQ_HEAD))
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/* did not ask for HTTP/1.0 and a GET or HEAD */
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return TRUE;
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```
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If no parenthesis, use the default indent:
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```c
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data->set.http_disable_hostname_check_before_authentication =
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(0 != va_arg(param, long)) ? TRUE : FALSE;
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```
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Function invoke with an open parenthesis:
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```c
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if(option) {
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result = parse_login_details(option, strlen(option),
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(userp ? &user : NULL),
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(passwdp ? &passwd : NULL),
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NULL);
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}
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```
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Align with the "current open" parenthesis:
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```c
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DEBUGF(infof(data, "Curl_pp_readresp_ %d bytes of trailing "
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"server response left\n",
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(int)clipamount));
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```
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## Platform dependent code
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Use **#ifdef HAVE_FEATURE** to do conditional code. We avoid checking for
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particular operating systems or hardware in the #ifdef lines. The HAVE_FEATURE
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shall be generated by the configure script for unix-like systems and they are
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hard-coded in the `config-[system].h` files for the others.
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We also encourage use of macros/functions that possibly are empty or defined
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to constants when libcurl is built without that feature, to make the code
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seamless. Like this example where the **magic()** function works differently
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depending on a build-time conditional:
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```c
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#ifdef HAVE_MAGIC
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void magic(int a)
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{
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return a + 2;
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}
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#else
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#define magic(x) 1
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#endif
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int content = magic(3);
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```
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## No typedefed structs
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Use structs by all means, but do not typedef them. Use the `struct name` way
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of identifying them:
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```c
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struct something {
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void *valid;
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size_t way_to_write;
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};
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struct something instance;
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```
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**Not okay**:
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```c
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typedef struct {
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void *wrong;
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size_t way_to_write;
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} something;
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something instance;
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```
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