alexandre-hallaine / get_next_line

A C library for efficiently reading files line by line, optimized for performance and memory usage.

GetNextLine

get_next_line is a powerful C function designed for efficiently reading text files line by line. It's particularly valuable for handling large files due to its smart memory management:

• Minimal Memory Footprint: Caches only the data needed for the current line, making it ideal for large files or resource-constrained systems.
• Customizable Buffer Size: The BUFFER_SIZE macro allows you to tailor how much data is read in each operation.

Installation

1. Configure and Build:

   meson setup build
   meson compile -C build

2. Install (Optional):

   meson install -C build

3. Link in Your Project:

   gcc main.c -lgnl

   Add -L <path_to_build_dir> if the library is not installed.

Example Code

#include "get_next_line.h"

int main() {
   int fd = open("your_file.txt", O_RDONLY);
   char *line;

   while ((line = get_next_line(fd)) != NULL) {
      printf("%s\n", line);
      free(line); // Important: Prevent memory leaks
   }

   close(fd);
   return 0;
}

Testing

• Functional Tests (simple.c):

  meson test -C build

• Speed Test (speed.c):

  ./build/tests/speed <your_file.txt>

Additional Notes

• Multiple Files: When reading from multiple files sequentially, ensure all lines are consumed from the current file (until get_next_line returns NULL) before switching to the next. Alternatively, clear the internal buffer by reading from /dev/null.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.