Accessing embedded resource as "a file"

Question

I'm trying to glue together two libraries where lib1 is providing scripts to lib2. The libraries are used in c++11 code I'm writing. I can't modify those libs.

Scripts in lib1 are embedded into the shared object with https://github.com/vector-of-bool/cmrc.

The content of each script can be accessed with an iterator, like so

cmrc::embedded_filesystem fs=cmrc::hpo::get_filesystem()
auto script1 = fs.open("script1")
# use iterator for script1...

However, lib2 function requires 'physical' file: void file(const char *);

I know I can dump content from lib1 iterator to a temp file, read it with lib2 and then remove the file. This solution sounds rather sub optimal and I'm looking for a better way.

OS-specific solutions OK? Standard C++ doesn't have many options besides that temporary file. — MSalters
– MSalters, Commented Oct 21, 2022 at 12:54
Yes it's fine. It must work for linux and ideally unix OS-family. Windows is really optional. — ad1v7
– ad1v7, Commented Oct 21, 2022 at 13:07
@msalters I mean I can imagine a crazy solution that is less OS specific, where you load the library in a sandbox of your own divising.... but that ends up with basically writing an entire fake os. Heh. Which just pushes the os specific stuff behind developer years of work. — Yakk - Adam Nevraumont
– Yakk - Adam Nevraumont, Commented Oct 21, 2022 at 13:09

MSalters · Accepted Answer · 2022-10-21 13:50:31Z

1

While named pipes are usually used for inter-process communication, they also work intra-process. And on many Operating Systems, including Windows, they have a name that's part of the file system namespace. Hence you can usually pass a pipe name to libraries which expect file names.

answered Oct 21, 2022 at 13:50

MSalters

182k11 gold badges171 silver badges376 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

2 Comments

ad1v7 Over a year ago

Can you provide an example please?

MSalters Over a year ago

@ad1v7: On Linux, you'd use mkfifo. You can create a unique name with tmpnam; if mkfifo succeeds you pass the same name to your void file(const char *);`.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Accessing embedded resource as "a file"

1 Answer 1

2 Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

2 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related