editbuffer

editbuffer is an embeddable C module / library providing editable buffer container with standard I/O semantics which simplifies cursor handling as the cursor is simply a seek position. It also gives high performance and low memory overhead because of block allocation strategy.

Originally written for cocovt and vtsh, but can be used in any programs that require a buffer container with simple API that has text editor-like functionality i.e. supports adding and removing random-sized chunks with random access pattern.

Normally the naive approach for text editor buffer container requires keeping track of two pointers: row and col, but here only one pointer is needed, the seek position, just like in the standard I/O API, yet the performance is greatly increased over a naive dynamic array implementation.

Dependencies

None.

Should work in many Unix-like environments. Developed on a OpenBSD base system without dependencies. Compiling for other systems might require installing some standard programs such as C compiler.

Configure

Edit editbuffer.c and edit variables to taste:

• TXTBLOCK_MAXLEN

Example

TxtBuffer *eb;
int i;
char ch;

ebput(&eb, "bar", 3);
ebseek(&eb, 1);
ebdel(&eb, 1);
ebseek(&eb, 0);
while ((ch = ebget(&eb)) != EOF)
	putchar(ch);

Compile

make