forge-lang-c

martimramos's avatarfrom martimramos

C development standards including make, gcc/clang, valgrind, and cppcheck. Use when working with C files, Makefiles, or CMakeLists.txt.

⭐0stars🔀0forks📁View on GitHub🕐Updated Dec 21, 2025

When & Why to Use This Skill

This Claude skill provides a comprehensive suite of C development standards and automation tools, including GCC/Clang compilation, Makefile/CMake management, Valgrind memory checking, and Cppcheck static analysis. It streamlines the entire C programming lifecycle—from project scaffolding and building to rigorous testing and code quality enforcement—ensuring memory safety and adherence to professional engineering practices.

Use Cases

  • Case 1: Automating the build process for complex C projects using standardized Makefile or CMake templates to ensure cross-platform compatibility.
  • Case 2: Identifying and resolving critical memory leaks and pointer errors by integrating Valgrind and AddressSanitizer into the development workflow.
  • Case 3: Enhancing code reliability through automated static analysis using Cppcheck and Clang Static Analyzer to catch bugs before runtime.
  • Case 4: Enforcing consistent code style and formatting across large-scale C repositories using automated clang-format configurations.
  • Case 5: Implementing a robust Test-Driven Development (TDD) cycle with integrated testing frameworks and automated 'make test' targets.
nameforge-lang-c
descriptionC development standards including make, gcc/clang, valgrind, and cppcheck. Use when working with C files, Makefiles, or CMakeLists.txt.

C Development

Building

# With Make
make

# With CMake
mkdir -p build && cd build
cmake ..
make

# Direct compilation
gcc -Wall -Wextra -Werror -o program main.c

Testing

# With Makefile test target
make test

# With CTest (CMake)
cd build && ctest -V

# With Unity or other test frameworks
./run_tests

Static Analysis

# Cppcheck
cppcheck --enable=all --error-exitcode=1 src/

# Clang static analyzer
scan-build make

# GCC warnings as errors
gcc -Wall -Wextra -Werror -pedantic -std=c11

Memory Checking

# Valgrind memory check
valgrind --leak-check=full ./program

# AddressSanitizer (compile with)
gcc -fsanitize=address -g -o program main.c

Formatting

# Format with clang-format
clang-format -i src/*.c src/*.h

# Check without changing
clang-format --dry-run --Werror src/*.c src/*.h

Project Structure

project/
├── src/
│   ├── main.c
│   └── module.c
├── include/
│   └── module.h
├── tests/
│   └── test_module.c
├── Makefile (or CMakeLists.txt)
└── README.md

Makefile Template

CC = gcc
CFLAGS = -Wall -Wextra -Werror -std=c11 -pedantic
LDFLAGS =
SRC = src/main.c src/module.c
OBJ = $(SRC:.c=.o)
TARGET = program

all: $(TARGET)

$(TARGET): $(OBJ)
	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $^

%.o: %.c
	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<

test: $(TARGET)
	./run_tests

clean:
	rm -f $(OBJ) $(TARGET)

.PHONY: all test clean

TDD Cycle Commands

# RED: Write test, run to see it fail
make test

# GREEN: Implement, run to see it pass
make test

# REFACTOR: Clean up, ensure tests still pass
make clean && make && make test && cppcheck --enable=all src/