CoreLib

WORK IN PROGRESS
This library is currently being updated from its original Acorn Archimedes/RPC-era implementation to support RISC OS 5 and the modern DDE toolset. Please be patient while this work is in progress. If you'd like to contribute, feel free to get in touch.

This is a legacy library I originally wrote between 1996 and 1998 for use on Acorn machines running RISC OS. I'm now modernising it to support RISC OS 5, Shared Makefiles, and the newer _swix() syntax.

CoreLib is designed to make the RISC OS API feel more like a POSIX-compatible C library. The goal is to improve developer experience by offering:

• A more intuitive interface for developers familiar with Unix-style programming.
• Easier porting of Unix software to RISC OS.
• Built-in validation of argument types and values to reduce crashes due to incorrect SWI usage.
• A few additional helper functions not present in the native RISC OS API.

CoreLib is not intended to replace the RISC OS API. It's a wrapper — a safety layer that enhances usability while still allowing you to call native SWIs directly when needed.

It's not a "life-changing" library — but it does make writing C programs for RISC OS faster, safer, and more enjoyable.

One practical benefit is that you can often consult standard Linux man pages for documentation. CoreLib adopts POSIX-style function names (prefixed with os_) and behavior, but with added argument validation for RISC OS safety. The library is not yet complete, but already wraps most commonly used functionality.

Important note: This library is not related to GCC's UnixLib. I originally created it for use with Acorn/Castle/ROOL's DDE (and CLib). At the time, OSLib and RISC_OSLib were still prone to errors, and on RISC OS a simple mistake in a SWI call can crash or destabilize the system.
UnixLib and GCC cover a wider range of POSIX functions than CoreLib — but the purpose here is different. CoreLib uses a POSIX-like API to make things more intuitive, while ensuring safety and compatibility.

License

This library is released under the MPL 2.0 license. See the LICENSE file for full terms.

Building

To build the library, make sure your RISC OS development environment is correctly set up.
From the RISC OS Desktop:

1. Open the directory containing this library.
2. Double-click the file named MkDDE.

To clean the build and remove generated files, double-click on MkDDEClean.