Embed is in C23 (thephd.dev)

Article summary

The C23 standard now includes the #embed directive, which allows developers to embed binary data directly into their executables. This feature has been a long time coming, with the author spending nearly 5 years advocating for its inclusion. The directive generates a comma-delimited list of integers, which can be used to initialize a static variable. This feature is expected to simplify build pipelines and improve performance.

Main themes

• C23 standard
• binary data embedding
• build pipeline simplification
• performance improvement
• reproducible builds
• compiler optimization
• portability and compatibility
• language standardization and evolution

What commenters say

• Embedding binary data directly into executables can simplify build pipelines and improve performance.
• The #embed directive is a useful feature that has been a long time coming, and its inclusion in C23 is a significant improvement.
• Some developers have been using alternative methods, such as xxd, to embed binary data, but these methods have limitations and are not portable.
• The inclusion of #embed in C23 may not be sufficient, as it does not address the needs of C++ developers, who may still have to use other methods to achieve similar results.
• The use of #embed may have implications for reproducible builds, particularly when used with infinite files like /dev/urandom.
• The compiler's as-if rule allows it to optimize the embedding process, making it more efficient than alternative methods.
• The #embed directive is not without its limitations, and some developers may still prefer to use other methods, such as xxd, for certain use cases.