[metadata]
id = "API04-C"
type = "recommendation"
category = "API"
number = 4
title = "Provide a consistent and usable error-checking mechanism"
description = """
Functions should provide consistent and usable error-checking mechanisms.
Complex interfaces are sometimes ignored by programmers, resulting in code that
is not error checked. Inconsistent interfaces are frequently misused and
difficult to use, resulting in lower-quality code and higher development costs.
Thestrlcpy()function copies a null-terminated source string to a destination
array. It is designed to be a safer, more consistent, and less error-prone
replacement forstrcpy(). Thestrlcpy()function returns the total length of the
string it tried to create (the length of the source string).
"""
severity = "Medium"
likelihood = "Unlikely"
priority = "P2"
level = "L3"
cert_version = "2016 Edition (Wiki)"
last_modified = "Jul 02, 2025"
[rules.cert_c.API04-C]
enabled = true
[references]
wiki = "https://wiki.sei.cmu.edu/confluence/display/c/API04-C.+Provide+a+consistent+and+usable+error-checking+mechanism"
cwe = ["CWE-754"]