Question 1

How do I parse an INI file in C with inih?

Accepted Answer

Use the ini_parse function with a callback handler that matches sections and names; the README provides a clear example where you define a handler to populate a configuration struct based on key-value pairs.

Question 2

What are the differences between inih and Python's ConfigParser?

Accepted Answer

inih allows name=value pairs without a section (treated as empty string) and handles multi-line entries as separate values for the same key, unlike ConfigParser which requires sections and concatenates continued lines.

Question 3

Can inih handle Unicode file paths on Windows?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but it requires extra steps: you must use _wfopen() to open the file with UTF-16 support and then call ini_parse_file(), as inih doesn't include native wchar_t or Unicode handling.

Question 4

Is there a way to get all sections from an INI file using inih?

Accepted Answer

Not directly with the core library; since it uses SAX-style callbacks, you need to accumulate sections manually in your handler, or use a community fork like Blandinium/inih that adds GetSections() functionality.

Question 5

How to use inih in a C++ project for simple access?

Accepted Answer

Use the provided INIReader class to load and query values via Get() methods; however, for more advanced features, the README suggests forks as the C++ API is basic and not actively developed.

Question 6

inih vs other INI parsers like simpleini for C++?

Accepted Answer

inih excels in minimalism and low memory usage for embedded C projects, but if you need a richer, in-memory C++ API with convenience methods, libraries like simpleini might be more suitable despite larger footprints.

inih

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