This project has been created as part of the 42 curriculum by ipinto-m.

Libft - Your First C Library

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📝 Description

Libft is the foundational project of the 42 Core Curriculum. The goal is to create a custom C library by re-coding standard functions from the C library (libc) and implementing additional utility functions that will be used throughout the entire program.

By building this library from scratch, I developed a deep understanding of memory management, pointer manipulation, and the internal logic of data structures. This library serves as a personal "toolbox" that replaces standard functions in future 42 projects where the use of the official libc is restricted.

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🛠️ Library Overview

The library is composed of three distinct parts:

1. Libc Functions: Exact re-implementations of standard functions like ft_strlen, ft_memcpy, ft_strchr, ft_atoi, and ft_strdup.
2. Additional Functions: Specialized utilities not found in the standard library, such as ft_substr, ft_strjoin, ft_split, and ft_itoa.
3. Linked Lists Functions: A complete set of tools to handle dynamic list structures, including functions like ft_lstnew, ft_lstadd_back, and ft_lstclear.

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🚀 Instructions

Compilation

The project includes a Makefile to automate the build process. To generate the static library file (libft.a), run the following commands:

• Compile the library:

  make

• Clean object files (.o):

  make clean

• Full clean (objects and .a file):

  make fclean

• Recompile from scratch:

  make re

Usage

To use libft in your own C project, simply include the header in your source files:

#include "libft.h"

📚 Resources

References

• Man7.org (Linux Manual Pages): The primary documentation for understanding the expected behavior of standard C functions.
• C Programming Language (K&R): The foundational book for C syntax and best practices.
• 42 Norminette Documentation: Guide for the coding standard enforced by the 42 Network.

Use of AI

For this project, Artificial Intelligence was used as an educational assistant for the following tasks:

• Logic Clarification: Assisting in the conceptual understanding of pointer arithmetic and memory overlap (specifically for ft_memmove).
• Edge Case Identification: Generating scenarios to test functions against null pointers, empty strings, and integer overflows.
• Documentation Formatting: Structuring and proofreading this README.md file to ensure it meets the project requirements and professional standards.
• Note: All project code was implemented manually. AI was used exclusively to clarify concepts and help with documentation, ensuring the learning process remained central to the project.