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Top 6 C Configuration Projects
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Project mention: MAML – a new configuration language (similar to JSON, YAML, and TOML) | news.ycombinator.com | 2025-10-12
In practice, there are still types, they are just validated by your application. I didn’t want Confetti itself to make assumptions. I wanted to give you the freedom to define your own custom types and keywords, like “on” and “off”, or even tri-states like “yes”, “no”, “maybe”.
The problem with mandatory keywords, like “true” and “false”, is they box you into the English language. And how many data types are baked in is arbitrary, for example, TOML has data types for date and time, but JSON does not [1]. Where do you draw the line? Confetti let’s you decide.
You might enjoy reading this take on the subject [2].
[1] https://toml.io/en/v1.0.0#offset-date-time
[2] https://github.com/madmurphy/libconfini/wiki/An-INI-critique...
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I looked for a TOML library with a C API and found a couple, but it wasn’t obvious which one was better. I also didn’t like the idea of having another dependency in addition to Libclang. So I decided to implement my own TOML libary. I optimistically (naively?) thought “How hard can it be?” (Sound familiar?)
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Preferences
Preferences library for ESP8266, RP2040, RP2350, Particle, Wio Terminal, Realtek Ameba (by vshymanskyy)
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composition_parser
High-speed C parser for the tiny and mighty Data Composition Format (the elegant alternative to JSON or TOML)
NOTE:
The open source projects on this list are ordered by number of github stars.
The number of mentions indicates repo mentiontions in the last 12 Months or
since we started tracking (Dec 2020).
C Configuration discussion
C Configuration related posts
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jq VS rcl - a user suggested alternative
2 projects | 15 Mar 2025 -
An INI Critique of TOML
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Show HN: Hydra - Open-Source Columnar Postgres
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Elektra – The Configuration Framework for Everyone
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Do you call it an "ini" file or a "dot I N I" file?
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RDM Shenanigans!
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libconfini: Yet another INI parser
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A note from our sponsor - AppSignal
www.appsignal.com | 9 Aug 2026
Index
What are some of the best open-source Configuration projects in C? This list will help you:
| # | Project | Stars |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | libconfini | 182 |
| 2 | tomlc17 | 143 |
| 3 | Preferences | 107 |
| 4 | oconfigure | 64 |
| 5 | RDMnet | 55 |
| 6 | composition_parser | 1 |
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