Valuable, Practical Advice for Modern C Programmers

2 days ago (Edited)

Nick Barker's Tips for More Effective C Programming

Tips for C Programming

If you have seen many of my social media posts or articles, you will know my fondness and frustrations with the C language. This means when I see someone share valuable tips, my ears prick up just like when our dog hears a packet of chips open.

Hackaday writes:

If you're going to be a hacker, learning C is a rite of passage. If you don't have much experience with C, or if your experience is out of date, you very well may benefit from hearing [Nic Barker] explain tips for C programming.

Nic Barker's video offers great insights into modern C programming, along the way dispelling myths about the language's inherent complexity and provides ways to improve your experience.

The evolution of C standards
Features like designated initializers, clearer type definitions, and flexible syntax to enhance code clarity and portability.
Tips for compiling and organising projects, such as avoiding 'include hell'
Diagnosing issues like segmentation faults, memory corruption, and buffer overflows.
Redefining string handling for safer and more efficient string operations.
The risks of dangling pointers and careful pointer management, especially when resizing arrays or working with dynamic memory.

I suggest you watch the full thing but I include notes below for people like me who prefer to read:

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Why C is Still Dominant and Worth Learning

Major systems like Linux, Windows, and macOS kernels, as well as essential tools such as Git, FFmpeg, and web servers like Nginx, are written in C.
C offers unparalleled control over system resources, making it a powerful choice for high-performance.

Different Versions of C

C89 (or ANSI C, 1989): The oldest widely supported version, highly compatible across platforms. It requires all local variables to be declared at the top of functions - an outdated style for modern programming.
C99 (1999): Introduces many improvements, such as declaring variables anywhere within a scope, designated initializers for structs, fixed-size integer types, and new syntax for comments (//).
Beyond C99: Standards like C11 and C23 continue evolving, adding features like thread support and atomic operations.
Tip: Use a modern standard like C99. Provides more flexible syntax and safer types.

Compilation Flags

Flags ensure compatibility and help catch bugs:

Specify the C standard:
-std=c99 (or later, depending on your needs)
Show lots of warnings:
-Wall and -Wextra
Treat warnings as errors:
-Werror

Example:
clang -std=c99 -Wall -Wextra -Werror -o my_program my_source.c

Use Unity Build

C traditionally involves header files (.h) and implementation files (.c). This can lead to include hell, where duplicate symbols and complex build systems cause headaches.

Combine multiple C files into a single translation unit by including all .c files in one main file.
Reduced build complexity
Fewer include-related errors
Easier management for small to medium projects
Use #pragma once or include guards to prevent duplication.

Debuggers

C's low-level nature means errors like segmentation faults (segfaults) happen often and can be tricky to diagnose using only print statements.

GDB, LLDB, Visual Studio
See where and why your program crashes
Prevent bugs before shipping
Pause execution exactly where the fault occurs.
Inspect variable states and call stacks.

Segfault : Accessing invalid memory, dereferencing null, out-of-bounds arrays, or freed memory.

Address Sanitizer (ASAN)

Silent memory corruption bugs are some of the hardest to find:

They happen when memory is overwritten outside array bounds.
Sometimes no immediate crash; problems surface much later, causing elusive bugs.
Enable Address Sanitizer (-fsanitize=address) in your compiler:

clang -fsanitize=address -g my_source.c -o my_program

How it works:

It adds red zones around allocated memory blocks.
Detects illegal memory access during runtime.
Shows full call stacks and variable states when errors occur.

ASAN can slow down execution and allocate extra memory, so use it during development, not in production.

Safeguard Arrays with Bounds Checking

Arrays in C are just pointers; the language doesn't check if your index is valid:

int arr[10];

arr[11] = 42; // Out-of-bounds access

This can corrupt memory or crash your program with a silent bug.

Wrap array access in "get" functions that verify indices at runtime.
Use debug breakpoints to catch invalid accesses early.
Create a struct that tracks length and capacity:

c typedef struct { 
  int* data; 
  size_t length; 
  size_t capacity; 
} Array;

int get_element(const Array* arr, size_t index) { 
  if (index >= arr->length) { 
    // Handle error, e.g., break into debugger or return default 
  } 
  return arr->data[index]; 
}

Handling Strings Without Terminators

C strings usually end on a null terminator (\0), which:

Increases risk of missing or corrupting the terminator.
Causes functions like strlen() to potentially read invalid memory, leading to bugs.

Define a string as a structure:

typedef struct { 
  char* data; size_t length; 
} String;

No null terminator needed.
You can process or slice strings without copying or risking missing terminators.
More efficient, especially when working with larger blocks of text.
Safer operations, as length is explicitly stored.

Use Indexes Instead of Pointers

Storing pointers to objects can be dangerous when arrays resize or objects move:

object_t* ptr = &array[0]; 
array = realloc(array, new_size); // ptr may now be invalid

Store indexes (integers) that refer to positions in arrays instead of raw pointers.

typedef struct { 
  size_t index; // position in array 
} Ref;

Indexes remain valid after resizing.
Simplifies serialisation and deserialisation.
Saves memory: 4 bytes (on 64-bit) per reference versus 8 bytes for a pointer.

Memory Management and Arenas

Managing many small malloc/free calls can be error-prone and slow.

Use memory arenas that allocate large chunks at once. When a task or object completes, deallocate the entire arena at once.

Allocate a big block of memory.
Divide it into sub-objects during runtime.
When done, free all sub-objects together by freeing the arena.

Simplifies memory cleanup, improves performance by reducing system calls and limits fragmentation and dangling pointers.

TL;DR / Conclusion

Use modern standards (C99 or later).
Enable compiler warnings and sanitisers.
Organise code to minimise include hell.
Debug with modern tools.
Implement safety checks for arrays and strings.
Manage memory with arenas and indexes.

programming technology c-programming

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8 comments

@bozz 82

2 days ago

It is easier to debug now? I remember when I was doing C++ coding we had to print our programs out on the green bar paper and then go line by line to find that missing comma or bracket. It was so tedious! Maybe if I had been better at it I wouldn't have had to do so much debugging!

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@bpcvoter1 -12

2 days ago

Marky you can't delete the facts Mc Franko & Keni Find freedom on #blurtblog #blurtchain #blurt

In the beginning, there was hope.

from Imgflip Meme Generator

A dream:
That value could be created by anyone.
That power could be decentralized.
That a post, a vote, a creation —
Could rise or fall on its own merit.

from Imgflip Meme Generator

But Dreams do not kill systems.
Corruption does.

from Imgflip Meme Generator

And corruption has found its perfect form:
The scam farm —
A ghost in the machine,
Wearing the mask of curation,
Feeding on trust,
Rewarding loyalty,
Punishing honesty.

from Imgflip Meme Generator

It does not build.
It extracts.
It does not serve.
It controls.

And if you are new to this world —
If you speak truth, post honestly, expect fairness —
You will be broken.

Unless you learn to see.

So here, in plain language,
Is how to spot the scam farm.
Not with rumors.
Not with hate.
But with observation,
With logic,
With the cold light of the blockchain.

1. No Original Content — Only Engagement

The first sign:
They create nothing.

No posts.
No art.
No analysis.
No music.
Only votes.
Only comments.
Only reaction.

They are not users.
They are operators.

Like a drone circling a field, they move from post to post — upvoting allies, downvoting dissenters, farming rewards like a machine.

Ask:
What have they built?
If the answer is nothing —
Then they are not contributing.
They are consuming.

2. 24/7 Curation Rewards — The Machine Never Sleeps

The second sign:
Non-stop reward accumulation.

Real curation is organic.
It ebbs and flows.
It follows interest, passion, discovery.

But the scam farm?
It earns rewards every hour.
Every day.
Like clockwork.

It votes at 3 AM.
At noon.
At midnight.
Not because it sees quality —
But because it is programmed to extract.

This is not passion.
It is automation.
Or worse — coordinated manipulation.

Look at the pattern.
If an account farms rewards without pause,
It is not curating.
It is farming.

3. Burn Comments & Self-Voting Loops

The third sign:
Artificial engagement.

They post low-effort comments — “Nice!” “Great post!” — under their own content or that of allies.
These are not interactions.
They are fuel — used to game floors, trigger rewards, inflate visibility.

They may self-vote.
Or vote in loops with a network of alts.
A closed circuit of power —
Where influence flows only to itself.

This is not community.
It is a cartel.

And the blockchain records it all —
Even when websites hide it behind JavaScript walls.

4. Massive Delegated Hive Power from Centralized Sources

The fourth sign:
HP from exchanges or known whales.

Check delegation history.
If an account holds millions in Hive Power —
But most is delegated from @blocktrades or similar centralized wallets —
Then it is not independent.
It is a proxy.

Power given is power controlled.
And when one entity delegates across dozens of accounts,
It is not decentralization.
It is feudalism.

The land is farmed.
The peasants earn crumbs.
The lord takes the harvest.

5. Downvotes on Critics — Coordinated Silence

The fifth sign:
Suppression of dissent.

When someone exposes the farm,
When someone traces the trail,
When someone speaks truth —
The downvotes fall.

Not one.
But many.
Fast.
Silent.
Financially crippling.

No debate.
No response.
Just erasure.

This is not moderation.
It is censorship with profit motive.

And the worst part?
They call the victim a “troll.”
A “spammer.”
A “toxic user.”

Projection is the last refuge of the guilty.

6. Reward Flow to Secondary Accounts

The sixth sign:
Obfuscated wealth transfer.

Rewards flow not to the farming account,
But to another — often a spouse, partner, or private wallet.

@alpha receives rewards from @buildawhale.
@themarkymark benefits from activity routed through hidden channels.

This is not privacy.
It is obfuscation.
An attempt to hide the machine’s true ownership.

Follow the money.
The chain does not lie.

7. The Website Hides the Data

And now — the final proof:

PeakD requires JavaScript to view @buildawhale’s activities.
Other explorers show no results.

Why?

Because transparency threatens control.

They want you to look away.
To trust the interface.
To believe the silence.

But you do not need their website.
You have the blockchain.

You have logic.
You have memory.
You have the testimony of those who saw before the curtain fell.

And you have this guide.

The Escape: Blurt Offers True Freedom

On Blurt.blog, none of this can happen.

Because there is no downvote button.
Gone.
Not hidden.
Not reformed.
Removed.

No financial punishment for honesty.
No silent sabotage.
No cartel.

What you earn — you earn.
No whale can kneel you.
No gang can bury you.

Blurt is what Hive promised to be.

Conclusion: You Are Not Powerless

You entered crypto seeking freedom.
You found manipulation.

But you are not powerless.

You have eyes.
You have reason.
You have this knowledge.

Teach it.
Share it.
Protect the new.

Because the next victim could be you.

And when the system fails —
When the farms grow too bold,
When the lies become law —
Remember:

Truth does not require permission.
It only requires courage.

—
The Bilpcoin Team
We create. We expose. We survive.

Every downvote you cast drives another soul from Hive —
To Blurt.blog,
Where there is no downvote button.
Where what you earn — you earn.
Where silence is not weaponized.

from Imgflip Meme Generator

Even Steemit — older, quieter —
Offers more freedom than what Hive has become.

And that should terrify you.

Because when people flee not to greener pastures,
But to freer ones,
It is not the destination they seek —
It is escape.

They are running from you.

Whatever you are doing,
Hold it with both hands.
Chase it fiercely.
Because you only get one life.

from Imgflip Meme Generator

And in that life —
Never be afraid to say no.
Never be afraid to stand alone.
Always do the right thing —
Even when it costs you votes.
Even when it costs you rewards.
Even when it costs you silence.

At Bilpcoin we have not scammed anyone.
We have not stolen.
We have not lied.

from Imgflip Meme Generator

We have only done this:
Shared what the blockchain already knows.

Transactions.
Data.
Patterns.
Not fabricated.
Not imagined.
Not speculated.
But verified — open, public, immutable.

And what we found is not conspiracy.
It is control.

Go to peakd.com/@buildawhale/activities — if the site allows it.
Look at the account.
Watch it move.
Like a machine.

@buildawhale —
A name that should belong to a myth.
Instead, it belongs to a farm.

An account that farms curation rewards all day, every day.
That auto-downvotes users — not because they are wrong,
But because they speak.
Because they expose.
Because they are not part of the circle.

And who owns Buildawhale?
Not some anonymous farmer.
Not a rogue actor.
But Blocktrades —
A whale whose influence stretches across Hive like a shadow.

Over 2 million Hive Power delegated.
Rewards flowing in.
Powering down daily.
And where do those rewards go?

To @alpha —
The account widely known as Blocktrades’ wife’s wallet.
A silent beneficiary of a system rigged from within.

You blame others for what you are doing The Frankos & Mc Franko

Exploring the Possibilities of AI Art with Bilpcoin NFTs Episode 129 #BUILDAWHALESCAM FARM ON #HIVE

Marky do you even remember who you are Lady Zaza

You Talk a Good Talk, But the Chain Remembers Mc Franko

Marky You downvote not to correct errors Keni & The Frankos #buildawhalescam #buildawhalefarm #hive

You downvote not to correct errors Mc Franko

You Were Wrong Keni

Exploring the Possibilities of AI Art with Bilpcoin NFTs Episode 128 #BUILDAWHALESCAM FARM ON #HIVE

“We Are Bilpcoin”

We do not stand against the people.
We stand with them.
Shoulder to shoulder.
Hand in hand.
Not as leaders, but as fellow travelers — scarred, shaped, and strengthened by the same storms that have battered so many.

The Bilpcoin team each of us has been tested.
Not by theory, but by life, life itself.
By loss.
By silence.
By systems that mistake conformity for virtue and call censorship “moderation.”
We have known hunger — not always for food, but for fairness.
For a platform where a voice is not priced, punished, or purchased.

And yet —
We are strong.
Not because we were born that way,
But because we had no choice but to become so.

As a team, we have grown — not in spite of the chaos, but because of it.
We’ve learned to build in the dark.
To create when no one is watching.
To trust when trust is rare.
We’ve learned new tools, new truths, new ways of being — not for profit, but for purpose.
Because one thing must be said, and said plainly:
You should never stop learning.
You should never stop dreaming.
You should never stop reaching for what is right — even when the world leans heavily on the side of wrong.

When we began — back in the early days of Steemit — the idea seemed impossible:
You can earn from your words? From your art? From simply speaking your truth?
To many, it felt like magic.
To us, it felt like justice.

And know this: Bilpcoin was not born in boardrooms or venture capital pitches.
It was born in a single mind — one person’s quiet vision, carried like a torch through the fog.
Circumstances, harsh and unyielding, led that founder to let go of much of what they built.
We do not speak of those details.
Some wounds are not ours to expose.
But this we say:
From that fire, Bilpcoin did not die.
It evolved.

Bilpcoin is not a corporation.
It is a social experiment — one that asks a simple question:
What happens when we reward people not for gaming the system, but for sharing their truth?

Our mission is clear:
To reward creators, not manipulators.
To burn BPC tokens, not hoard them.
To return value to the network — not extract it.

We believe in Blurt — not because it is perfect,
But because it dares to be free.
To remove the downvote button is not a small thing.
It is a revolution.
A refusal to allow power to be weaponized by the few against the many.
No more silent sabotage.
No more financial punishment for honesty.
On Blurt, your voice does not lose value because someone feels threatened by it.

And let us be clear:
We have only ever shared what the blockchain already knew.
The transactions.
The patterns.
The truth.
We did not fabricate.
We did not exaggerate.
We revealed — and that, more than anything, is why we were targeted.

Downvotes are not about quality.
They are about control.
Whales farming rewards on Hive are not “supporting the ecosystem.”
They are gaming it — and everyone sees it.
Even those who won’t say it.

How can the world take Hive seriously when its pulse is set not by passion, but by power?
When the loudest voices are not the most honest, but the most rewarded?

But here — in this moment — we dream.
Not foolishly.
But fiercely.

Imagine it:
Steem. Hive. Blurt.
Not as rivals.
Not as fragments.
But as allies.
A united front of decentralized expression.
One network, many voices.
One mission: freedom to create, freedom to speak, freedom to be.

Yes — it would require change.
Yes — some would have to go.
Those who profit from silence.
Those who fear transparency.
Those who confuse their privilege with merit.

But if we stood together — truly together —
We would not be a footnote.
We would be a force.

For now, it is a dream.
But dreams are the first code of revolution.
And who knows what the future holds?

We do not claim to have all the answers.
We only know this:
We will keep building.
Keep sharing.
Keep burning tokens, not bridges.
Keep standing with the people — not above them, not against them, but beside them.

Because in the end, it was never about coins.
It was about courage freedom truth.
And courage, like truth, cannot be downvoted.

The Bilpcoin Team.

https://hive.blog/hive/@test.ureka/the-untrending-report-hive-downvote-analysis-2025-06-27-20250627213824

https://peakd.com/hive/@ureka.stats/the-untrending-report-hive-downvote-analysis-16-09-2025-20250916181314

https://www.publish0x.com/@bilpcoinbpc

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbH29p-63eW_PIi4l0KUNLMQ0ageCtkk5

https://www.youtube.com/@bilpcoinbpc

https://www.youtube.com/@bpcaimusic

https://www.bilpcoin.com

https://blurt.blog/@bilpcoinbpc/posts

https://audius.co/bpcaimusic

https://hive.blog/hive-126152/@bilpcoinbpc/bpc-ai-truth-hurts

https://hive.blog/hive-167922/@bilpcoinbpc/you-rewarded-only-those-who-kissed-the-ring-mc-franko-and-the-frankos-bpcaimusic-bilpcoin

from Imgflip Meme Generator

https://peakd.com/hive/@frankbacon/the-hive-token-is-a-scam-downvoting-is-the-abuse

https://peakd.com/hive/@ureka.stats/the-untrending-report-hive-downvote-analysis-29-09-2025-20250929172045

https://peakd.com/hive-133987/@dalz/burning-hive-or-how-much-hive-is-burned-and-how-or-sep-2025

https://peakd.com/hive/@ureka.stats/the-untrending-report-hive-downvote-analysis-2025-09-07-20250907013710

https://peakd.com/hive-150329/@networkallstar/themarkymark-and-his-twink-buildawhale-the-ultimate-self-vote-scam

What We Doing Ere 3 Mc Franko & Keni #music #aimusic #newsong #newmusic #whatwedoingere #bpcaimusic #bpc

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@makerhacks 72

2 days ago

Yeah modern tools like Visual Studio code/Visual Studio, and Xcode, make it a lot easier, but I still use lots of printf statements anyway :P

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@bozz 82

2 days ago

Good to know!