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CIDLib C++ dev tool goes open source

CIDLib C++ dev tool goes open source

Its lighter use of templates could make it easier to debug C++ applications

CIDLib, a general-purpose C++ development environment, is now open source. Note that it does use some third-party code, including a version of the Scintilla engine as the CML language source editor and parts of the standard JPEG libraries to provide JPEG file format support.

CDLib is not based on standard C++/STL libraries but has a far lighter use of templates than what has been commonplace, making it more debuggable, developer Dean Roddey said.

The environment, which Roddey compares to the Qt environment, has a mature code base and has been around for years. CDLIb has served as a foundation for the Charmed Quark Controller (CQC), a proprietary home automation platform.

CDLib contains about 1,100 classes and has the following functionality:

  • Build tools, a project definition system, a resource compiler, and a loadable text system.
  • A virtual kernel platform portability layer.
  • Standard libraries including streams, memory buffers, strings, threads, and serial ports.
  • Implementations of standards such as WebSockets, HTTP, XML, and JSON.
  • An object request broker.
  • An embeddable, virtual machine-based language called CML and an IDE for CML editing and debugging.
  • A file packaging system.
  • A test framework.

Currently, CDLib is available only for Windows. The tool is based on a virtual kernel that abstracts from the OS, and a goal is to make it portable for other plaforms in the future. A Linux implementation was developed years ago but would need to be updated to be used today.

Other plans under consideration include 3D graphics support, more internet telephony, and a custom public cryptography system. 

Where to download load CIDLib

You can download CDLib from GitHub.

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