How Can I Integrate Go Code into Existing C Projects?

Integrating Go Code into Existing C Projects

Prior to Go 1.5, integrating Go code into C projects was challenging. However, with the introduction of the -buildmode=c-archive flag, it has become possible to call Go code from within C programs.

To generate the necessary header files and archive for linking with C code, follow these steps:

1. Create a Go source file with the functions you want to expose to C.
2. Mark the exported functions with //export comments.
3. Use the following command to build the C-callable static library:

go build -buildmode=c-archive <Go_source_file>.go

This will generate an archive (e.g., foo.a) and a header file (e.g., foo.h).

In your C code, include the generated header file and use the exported functions following the CGo naming conventions. For example:

#include "foo.h"

int main(int argc, char **argv) {
    PrintInt(42);
    return 0;
}

To compile the C program, use a command like:

gcc -pthread foo.c foo.a -o foo

Additional Notes:

• The main function in the Go source file is required, even if empty.
• Use the -pthread option when compiling the C program as the Go runtime utilizes threads.
• You can specify the output archive and header file names using the -o and -I flags, respectively, when building the library.

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