Frequently Asked Questions

What is Abscom?

Abscom is a C11 library of reusable data structures (dynamic arrays, strings, hash maps) and platform helpers (time, file I/O, hashing), plus a Python-inspired dynamic runtime for writing scripting-style C programs. See getting-started.md.

Do I need Python installed?

No. The runtime is written in C and only borrows Python's ergonomics (var, v(1), List(), Dict(), print(...)). It has no runtime dependency on Python.

What compilers are supported?

Any C11 compiler Meson supports. The code has Windows (winsock2.h, windows.h) and POSIX (unistd.h, sys/socket.h) branches. It is developed and tested with Clang (LLVM MinGW) on Windows.

What dependencies does Abscom have?

None beyond the C standard library. On Windows the build links ws2_32 (for http_get); this is automatic via Meson.

Why does the runtime use a memory pool?

Most AbsObj values are allocated from a block pool (POOL_BLOCK_SIZE per block) so constructing var objects is cheap and there is no per-object malloc overhead. Objects with heap internals are tracked separately and freed by abs_cleanup / del.

Do I have to call abs_init / abs_cleanup?

Call abs_init() once before using any runtime function — it seeds the RNG and starts Winsock on Windows. Call abs_cleanup() before exiting to release pool blocks and internals (and to call WSACleanup). The core modules (abs_dynarray, abs_string, abs_hashmap, ...) do not require it.

Does del() free memory?

del(obj) frees an object's heap internals (string data, list/dict/set buffers, class name, open files) and marks it ABS_NONE. Pool slots themselves are reclaimed when abs_cleanup frees the whole pool.

Why does sorted not modify the original list?

sorted and reversed_seq return new lists by design, mirroring Python. Use shuffle for in-place list mutation.

How are errors reported?

Core modules return non-zero/NULL. The runtime returns ABS_ERROR objects — check them with is_err(obj). For example, get(list, 100) and json_parse("bad") return errors.

Why does http_get sometimes fail?

http_get performs a blocking HTTP/1.0 GET over port 80. It needs network access, a resolvable hostname, and (on Windows) a Winsock stack initialized by abs_init. It returns an ABS_ERROR object on failure instead of crashing.

Where are the tests?

Under tests/, each file is a standalone C program registered with Meson. Run them all with meson test -C build.

How do I report a bug or request a feature?

Open an issue on the GitHub repository and follow the guidance in CONTRIBUTING.md.

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