Modular C is an extension of the C programming language that has been proposed by Jens Gustedt.

It consists in the addition of a handful of directives and a naming scheme transforming traditional translation units into modules.

The change to the C language is minimal since we only add one feature, composed identifiers, to the core language.

Our modules can import other modules as long as the import relation remains acyclic and a module can refer to its own identifiers and those of the imported modules through freely chosen abbreviations. Other than traditional C include , our import directive ensures complete encapsulation between modules.

The abbreviation scheme allows to seamlessly replace an imported module by another one with equivalent interface. In addition to the export of symbols, we provide parameterized code injection through the import of snippets. This implements a mechanism that allows for code reuse, similar to X macros or templates. Additional features of our proposal are a simple dynamic module initialization scheme, a structured approach to the C library and a migration path for existing software projects.

The preprint #8751 contains a first research report describing Modular C.

You can find a reference implementation of a compiler frontend with our gforge project cmod. In particular, you may download it at:

Constructive feedback, improvements and patches are highly welcome.