single-file public domain libraries for C/C++
| library | description |
|---|---|
| stb_image.c | image loading/decoding from disk/memory: JPG, PNG, TGA, BMP, PSD, GIF, HDR, PIC |
| stb_vorbis.c | decode ogg vorbis files from memory to float/16-bit signed output |
| stb_truetype.h | parse, decode, and rasterize characters from truetype fonts |
| stb_image_write.h | image writing to disk |
| stb.h | helper functions for C, mostly redundant in C++ |
| stb_c_lexer.h | simplify writing parsers for C-like languages |
| stb_perlin.h | revised Perlin noise (3D input, 1D output) |
| stb_textedit.h | guts of a text editor for games etc implementing them from scratch |
These libraries are in the public domain (or the equivalent where that is not possible). You can do anything you want with them. You have no legal obligation to do anything else, although I appreciate attribution.
No.
Generally they're only better in that they're easier to integrate, easier to use, and easier to release (single file; good API; no attribution requirement). They may be less featureful, slower, and/or use more memory. If you're already using an equivalent library, there's probably no good reason to switch.
If people submit them, I generally add them, but the goal of stb_image is less for applications like image viewer apps (which need to support every type of image under the sun) and more for things like games which can choose what images to use, so I may decline to add them if they're too rare or if the size of implementation vs. apparent benefit is too low.
Yes. I'll put a list here when people remind me what they are.