"I built an API in C. Then I realized there wasn't a single documentation tool that worked with my code. So I built my own."
C language is powerful, fast, the pillar of the digital world. But it lacks something essential: Introspection.
In languages like Java, Python, or JavaScript, tools can read your code and understand it automatically. They can extract routes, parameters, responses, and build interactive documentation without any intervention from you.
In C, this is impossible.
No annotations, no reflection, no metadata.
You're alone. Your code. And the editor.
Tabula is a language-agnostic API documentation tool.
How does it work?
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Write an api.json file describing your API endpoints |
| 2 | Pass the file to Tabula |
| 3 | Get a complete interactive documentation site (HTML/CSS/JS) |
What makes it special?
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| No backend needed | Works on any free hosting |
| No build steps | Download files and open directly |
| Privacy-friendly | No tracking, no cookies, no external scripts |
| Language-agnostic | Works with C, Rust, Assembly, or any language |
| Interactive | Visitors can browse endpoints, read parameters, see response examples |
| Problem | Tabula's Solution |
|---|---|
| Current tools (Swagger, OpenAPI) need code annotations | Tabula works from a standalone JSON file |
| No tools exist for languages like C | Tabula doesn't care about your language |
| Writing documentation manually is tedious | Tabula turns JSON into an elegant interface |
| Documentation often becomes outdated | Tabula makes updates simple (just edit the JSON) |
๐ฏ The Brilliant Idea: Separating Documentation from Implementation
The creator didn't try to solve the impossible problem (extracting docs from C code). She changed the perspective:
"I won't make the tool read my code. I'll write a simple description of my API in JSON, and the tool will translate it into beautiful documentation."
This isn't just technical. It's philosophical: documentation isn't part of the code, but an independent layer.
Tabula is a Latin word meaning "board" or "table".
It carries beautiful meanings:
The name isn't just a random word. It's a statement of intent: clarity, simplicity, and order.
Where Code Meets Voice, and History Finds Its Echo
In a quiet corner of the web, where there is no noise from advertisements and no trace of trackers, there exists a space unlike any other. It is the personal gateway of an engineer, a host, a speaker, and a creator.
Do not be deceived by its simple exterior. This website is not merely a "rรฉsumรฉ" or a "portfolio." It is a statement of intent.
๐ฏ Headline: The web engineer who asks: "Where have the women of tech history gone?"
In a world racing after the "next generation," she pauses at the "forgotten past." In her talks, she doesn't just offer technical solutions about APIs and AI; she opens the files of history and asks, in a quiet yet striking voice: "Where have the women of tech history gone?"
Why is this website brilliant?
Because it doesn't try to be everything to everyone. It is specific and clear. It tells you directly: I am a developer, but I am also a guardian of memory. I live in C and APIs, but my heart beats with the stories of those who built this world before me.
Here, on the grey walls of GitHub, hides a secret workshop. It is not filled with stars or followers, but with focus and deep work. This repository is not a showcase; it is a laboratory.
๐ฏ Headline: The workshop of the creator who didn't wait for anyone.
If her personal website is the elegant "facade," then Lauwed on GitHub is the raw "engine." Here, you will find no applause or spotlights. You will find honest code and one towering tool: Tabula.
Tabula is her beloved child. An API documentation tool that didn't exist, so she built it herself. She didn't wait for a giant corporation to solve her problem. She didn't say, "This is impossible in C." She said: "I will write my API description in a JSON file, and my tool will transform it into living, breathing documentation."
The brilliance of this repository:
It is living proof that the best tools are born from the womb of silent struggle. In a world panting after ready-made solutions, she chose to build her own solution with her own two hands, then offer it for free to everyone suffering from the same problem. This is not an ordinary repository. It is a lesson in technical independence.
npx tabula-docs init my-docsThese websites represent a unique personality:
| Website | Essence | Defining Trait |
|---|---|---|
| lauradurieux.dev | The Facade | The "Wise Creator" who connects code and history |
| GitHub/Lauwed | The Workshop | The "Silent Engineer" who builds solutions from nothing |
She is not just a developer. She is a "Memory Engineer" and a "Solution Forger." ๐ค
"I couldn't find a tool. So I built one. Then I shared it with the world."
This is the true spirit of open source.
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