Safe C

Build highly predictable, robust, and performant C applications with a "zero technical debt" policy. This style guide is heavily inspired by TigerBeetle's Tiger Style.

Retrieval-First Development

Always verify standards against the reference documentation before implementing.

Resource	URL / Path
Safety & Control Flow	./references/safety.md
Performance Patterns	./references/performance.md
Developer Experience	./references/dx.md

Review the relevant documentation when writing new logic or performing code reviews.

When to Use

• Writing new C logic from scratch
• Refactoring existing C code to improve safety or performance
• Reviewing C PRs for code quality and standard adherence
• Optimizing memory allocations or hot paths
• Implementing strict error handling or boundary validation

Core Principles

Apply Safe C For

Need	Example
Predictable Execution	Bounded queues, bounded loops, explicit state machines
Memory Stability	Pre-allocating all memory at startup, static allocations, in-place initialization via out pointers
Operational Reliability	Strict assertion density (2+ per function), pair assertions, compound assertion splitting
Maintainability	Maximum 70 lines per function, max 100 columns per line, options structs

Do NOT Use

• Unbounded loops or recursion
• Dynamic memory allocations (malloc(), calloc(), free()) after startup phase
• Architecture-specific types like long or unsigned int where explicit sizes (uint32_t, int64_t) are required
• Third-party dependencies (unless explicitly approved)

Quick Reference

Bounded Control Flow & Strict Error Handling

// Always bound loops and avoid recursion.
// Use explicit control flow and split compound conditions.
int process_items(const item_t* items, uint32_t items_count) {
    assert(items != NULL);
    assert(items_count <= MAX_ITEMS);

    for (uint32_t i = 0; i < items_count; i++) {
        if (items[i].is_active) {
            if (items[i].value > THRESHOLD) {
                // Handle specific positive case
            }
        }
    }
    return 0;
}

Allocation-Free Hot Path & Out Pointers

// Construct large structs in-place by passing an out pointer
// Avoids copies and implicit stack allocations
void buffer_state_init(buffer_state_t* out_state, const config_options_t* options) {
    assert(out_state != NULL);
    assert(options != NULL);
    
    // In-place initialization
    *out_state = (buffer_state_t){
        .is_ready = true,
        .capacity = options->capacity_bytes,
        .cursor = 0,
    };
}

Critical Rules

1. No Recursion - Keep control flow simple and execution bounds completely static.
2. Fixed Upper Bounds - All loops and queues must have a fixed upper bound to prevent infinite loops or tail latency spikes.
3. No Dynamic Memory After Init - All memory must be statically allocated at startup.
4. Short Functions - Hard limit of 70 lines per function. Push ifs up, push fors down.
5. High Assertion Density - Assert function arguments, returns, invariants. Average minimum two assertions per function. Use static_assert for compile-time constants.
6. Explicit Types - Use explicitly-sized types (uint32_t, int8_t). Avoid size_t or int except for indexing small loops or interfacing with standard library.
7. Handle All Errors - Never ignore returns. Ensure all edge cases and negative spaces are checked.
8. Options Structs - Pass options to functions using an explicit options struct instead of relying on defaults or many boolean flags.
9. Zero Dependencies - Strictly avoid third-party libraries; stick to the standard library or built-in OS primitives where possible.
10. Strict Naming - snake_case, no abbreviations, add units/qualifiers at the end (latency_ms_max), sort by descending significance.

Anti-Patterns (NEVER)

• Using malloc() during steady-state execution.
• Writing compound conditions like if (a && b). Use nested ifs instead to handle each branch explicitly.
• Deeply nested logic in a single function (>70 lines).
• Silent error suppression.
• Leaving variables uninitialized or padding bytes unzeroed (buffer bleeds).

Credits

• Tiger Style