cbeam::platform Namespace Reference

Groups platform-specific helpers for Windows, Linux, and macOS. These utilities detect CPU architecture, manage COM initialization on Windows, resolve runtime paths, handle system directories, and unify OS-level functionality behind well-defined C++ APIs. More...

Classes
class	com_initializer
	Manages the initialization and deinitialization of COM. More...

Functions
std::string	get_bit_architecture ()
	Returns the bitness (e.g. "64") of the current platform based on sizeof(std::size_t).
std::string	get_platform_architecture ()
	Returns a string identifying the platform architecture (e.g., "x86", "ARM", "MIPS", etc.).
std::string	get_architecture ()
	Returns a string describing both the architecture and bitness (e.g. "x86_64", "ARM32").
std::string	get_kernel_name ()
	Returns the kernel or operating system name (e.g., "Windows", "Linux", "Darwin").
std::filesystem::path	get_path_to_runtime_binary (const void *symbol_inside_runtime_binary=nullptr)
	Retrieves the absolute path to the runtime binary (either an executable or a shared library) that contains a specified symbol.
std::string	get_last_windows_error_message ()
	Retrieves a descriptive error message for the last Windows API error.

Detailed Description

Groups platform-specific helpers for Windows, Linux, and macOS. These utilities detect CPU architecture, manage COM initialization on Windows, resolve runtime paths, handle system directories, and unify OS-level functionality behind well-defined C++ APIs.

Function Documentation

get_architecture()

std::string cbeam::platform::get_architecture ( )

inline

Returns a string describing both the architecture and bitness (e.g. "x86_64", "ARM32").

Returns

A string combining the platform architecture and the number of bits.

get_bit_architecture()

std::string cbeam::platform::get_bit_architecture ( )

inline

Returns the bitness (e.g. "64") of the current platform based on sizeof(std::size_t).

Returns

A string representing the number of bits, typically "32" or "64".

get_kernel_name()

std::string cbeam::platform::get_kernel_name ( )

inline

Returns the kernel or operating system name (e.g., "Windows", "Linux", "Darwin").

The detection is based on predefined macros.

Returns

A string containing the kernel/OS name, or "Unknown" if not recognized.

get_last_windows_error_message()

std::string cbeam::platform::get_last_windows_error_message ( )

inline

Retrieves a descriptive error message for the last Windows API error.

This function attempts to retrieve a human-readable error message corresponding to the last error code set by the Windows API. The function assumes that an error has occurred and does not perform error detection; it should be called only when an error is known to have occurred. It returns a generic message if it fails to retrieve a specific error message.

Returns

A std::string containing the error message. If unable to retrieve a specific message, it returns "unknown error".

get_path_to_runtime_binary()

std::filesystem::path cbeam::platform::get_path_to_runtime_binary ( const void * symbol_inside_runtime_binary = nullptr )

inline

Retrieves the absolute path to the runtime binary (either an executable or a shared library) that contains a specified symbol.

This function attempts to locate the runtime binary containing the specified symbol. By default, if no symbol is provided (symbol_inside_runtime_binary is nullptr), the function employs a local static symbol defined within itself. This approach is useful for identifying the path of the binary that includes this function.

Note

Under Linux and macOS, this function may not yield the intended results if the executable was invoked through a symbolic link not present in the application's current directory but rather in the executing shell's PATH. This is due to the fact that the function relies on resolving the runtime context of the symbol, which may not correctly reflect symbolic links used during invocation.

Warning

When relying on the default parameter, linker optimizations might cause the local static symbol to reside in a binary different from the intended target, especially when multiple shared libraries including this header are linked to the same executable. This can result in unexpected path resolutions. To ensure accurate results, it is recommended to explicitly pass a pointer to a static symbol known to reside within the desired binary.

Parameters

symbol_inside_runtime_binary

A pointer to a symbol within the runtime binary. If nullptr, a local static symbol is used.

Returns

std::filesystem::path The absolute path to the runtime binary containing the specified symbol.

Exceptions

std::runtime_error

if the path cannot be determined or if the symbol is not associated with any binary.

get_platform_architecture()

std::string cbeam::platform::get_platform_architecture ( )

inline

Returns a string identifying the platform architecture (e.g., "x86", "ARM", "MIPS", etc.).

The detection is based on predefined compiler macros.

Returns

A string describing the CPU architecture, or "Unknown" if not recognized.