The C Object System: Using C as a High-Level Object-Oriented Language

TL;DR

The C Object System (Cos) introduces high-level object-oriented features into C, enabling flexible, extensible, and efficient programming with concepts like multi-methods, delegation, and contracts, bridging the gap between scripting flexibility and C efficiency.

Contribution

Cos provides a novel, portable C library that implements advanced object-oriented concepts, enhancing C's capabilities for flexible and reusable software design.

Findings

Efficient implementation of message multi-dispatch in C

Enhanced code extensibility and reusability

Simplifies adaptive and aspect-oriented programming in C

Abstract

The C Object System (Cos) is a small C library which implements high-level concepts available in Clos, Objc and other object-oriented programming languages: uniform object model (class, meta-class and property-metaclass), generic functions, multi-methods, delegation, properties, exceptions, contracts and closures. Cos relies on the programmable capabilities of the C programming language to extend its syntax and to implement the aforementioned concepts as first-class objects. Cos aims at satisfying several general principles like simplicity, extensibility, reusability, efficiency and portability which are rarely met in a single programming language. Its design is tuned to provide efficient and portable implementation of message multi-dispatch and message multi-forwarding which are the heart of code extensibility and reusability. With COS features in hand, software should become as flexible and extensible as with scripting languages and as efficient and portable as expected with C programming. Likewise, Cos concepts should significantly simplify adaptive and aspect-oriented programming as well as distributed and service-oriented computing