The C Object System: Using C as a High-Level Object-Oriented Language

The C Object System (COS) is a small C library which implements high-level concepts available in CLOS, OBJECTIVEC and other object-oriented programming languages: uniform object model (class, metaclass and property-metaclass), generic functions, multi-methods, delegation, properties, exceptions, contracts and closures. COS relies on the programmable capabilities of the C programming language to extend its syntax and to implement the aforementioned concepts as first-class objects. COS aims at satisfying several general principles like simplicity, extensibility, reusability, efficiency and portability which are rarely met in a single programming language. Its design is tuned to provide efficient and portable implementation of message multi-dispatch and message multi-forwarding which are the heart of code extensibility and reusability. With COS features in hand, software should become as flexible and extensible as with scripting languages and as efficient and portable as expected with C programming. Likewise, COS concepts should significantly simplify adaptive and aspect-oriented programming as well as distributed and service-oriented computing.