The new #embed preprocessor directive in C23

[JupiterRider]

For those of you who didn't know: C23 has a new feature, which lets you embed files into executables.

Its called #embed. Not all compilers have implemented this feature yet, but GCC 15 and Clang 19 have: https://en.cppreference.com/w/c/compiler_support/23

Here's a small exmaple:

#include <raylib.h>
#include <stdio.h>

const unsigned char logo[] = {
#embed "raylib_logo.png"
};

int main(void)
{
    const int width = 1280;
    const int height = 720;

    InitWindow(width, height, "embed example");

    Image image = LoadImageFromMemory(".png", logo, sizeof(logo));
    Texture2D texture = LoadTextureFromImage(image);
    UnloadImage(image);

    SetTargetFPS(60);

    while (!WindowShouldClose())
    {
        BeginDrawing();

        ClearBackground(RAYWHITE);

        DrawTexture(texture, width / 2 - texture.width / 2, height / 2 - texture.height / 2, WHITE);

        EndDrawing();
    }

    UnloadTexture(texture);
    CloseWindow();
    return 0;
}

[wwderw]

I'm one of those that always links to embed all my assets (either for my 2D games or my in house tools), so I have been waiting for this to be integrated into C for awhile. Before, it was XXD or tinyXXD or even using the linker to handle it.