libffi

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    "ctypes"
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  "categories": [
    "library",
    "binding"
  ],
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  "conflicts_with": [],
  "dependencies": [],
  "deprecated": 0,
  "deprecation_reason": null,
  "desc": "Portable Foreign Function Interface library",
  "disable_reason": null,
  "disabled": 0,
  "enrichment_fetched_at": "2026-06-20T23:40:37+00:00",
  "first_seen": "2026-06-20T23:34:18+00:00",
  "full_name": "libffi",
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  "homepage": "https://sourceware.org/libffi/",
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  "homepage_title": "libffi",
  "installs_30d": 100193,
  "installs_365d": 849084,
  "installs_90d": 288264,
  "keg_only": 1,
  "keg_only_reason": ":provided_by_macos",
  "last_seen": "2026-06-20T23:34:18+00:00",
  "license": "MIT",
  "llm_generated_at": "2026-06-20T23:42:18+00:00",
  "llm_model": "claude-haiku-4-5",
  "name": "libffi",
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  "one_liner": "C library that provides a portable interface for calling functions with arguments determined at runtime.",
  "optional_dependencies": [],
  "rank_30d": 41,
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  "revision": 0,
  "ruby_source_path": "Formula/lib/libffi.rb",
  "tap": "homebrew/core",
  "test_dependencies": [],
  "uses_from_macos": [],
  "version_head": "HEAD",
  "version_stable": "3.5.2",
  "versioned_formulae": [],
  "why_use_this": "libffi is a low-level dependency used by scripting language interpreters (Python, Ruby, R) and FFI bindings to call C/C++ libraries without writing C wrapper code. It abstracts away platform-specific calling conventions, making it essential for cross-platform dynamic language runtimes. Keg-only because macOS provides its own version."
}