# hyperrealm/libconfig

C/C++ Library for Processing Structured Configuration Files

Repository: https://github.com/hyperrealm/libconfig
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/libconfig
Homepage: http://hyperrealm.github.io/libconfig/
Language: C
License: LGPL-2.1
License Family: copyleft
Last push: 2026-02-09T04:17:47+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 63/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 66, release rhythm 37, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4566, "days_push": 205, "days_rel": 262, "gap_med": 114.0, "n_releases_24m": 3}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1223, forks 386 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:02.729945+00:00)

## What it is
libconfig is a compact C/C++ library for parsing and processing structured, type-aware configuration files. Its format is more compact and readable than XML, making it suitable for memory-constrained systems.

## Use cases
- parse structured configuration files in C or C++
- read typed config values without string parsing
- use a lightweight config parser on embedded or handheld devices
- replace XML-based configuration with a more readable format
- manage application settings across Linux, macOS, Windows, and Android

## When to choose
- you need a small, fast config file parser for C or C++
- you want type-aware configuration instead of string parsing
- you target memory-constrained or cross-platform environments
- you need a permissively linkable LGPL library for proprietary apps

## When to avoid
- you need JSON, YAML, or TOML specifically
- your project is not in C or C++
- you need a schema validation or remote config service
- you want a config format with wide ecosystem tooling

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: stable
- function: configuration-management, parser, serialization
- domain: developer-tools, files, cross-platform
- platform: windows, c, cpp, cross-platform
- tags: config-files, c-library, cpp-library, structured-config, lightweight, linux, macos, android

## Member repositories
- hyperrealm/libconfig (main) score 63

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:02.729945+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T06:15:32.962877+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/hyperrealm/libconfig (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:02.729945+00:00, sha 52af59ec8811)
  - homepage: http://hyperrealm.github.io/libconfig/ (fetched 2026-08-29T12:23:41.164606+00:00, sha 7be1c3464d5f)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.