# The C Preprocessor

## Table of Contents

- The C Preprocessor
- 1 Overview
  - 1.1 Character sets
  - 1.2 Initial processing
  - 1.3 Tokenization
  - 1.4 The preprocessing language
- 2 Header Files
  - 2.1 Include Syntax
  - 2.2 Include Operation
  - 2.3 Search Path
  - 2.4 Once-Only Headers
  - 2.5 Computed Includes
  - 2.6 Wrapper Headers
  - 2.7 System Headers
- 3 Macros
  - 3.1 Object-like Macros
  - 3.2 Function-like Macros
  - 3.3 Macro Arguments
  - 3.4 Stringification
  - 3.5 Concatenation
  - 3.6 Variadic Macros
  - 3.7 Predefined Macros
    - 3.7.1 Standard Predefined Macros
    - 3.7.2 Common Predefined Macros
    - 3.7.3 System-specific Predefined Macros
    - 3.7.4 C++ Named Operators
  - 3.8 Undefining and Redefining Macros
  - 3.9 Directives Within Macro Arguments
  - 3.10 Macro Pitfalls
    - 3.10.1 Misnesting
    - 3.10.2 Operator Precedence Problems
    - 3.10.3 Swallowing the Semicolon
    - 3.10.4 Duplication of Side Effects
    - 3.10.5 Self-Referential Macros
    - 3.10.6 Argument Prescan
    - 3.10.7 Newlines in Arguments
- 4 Conditionals
  - 4.1 Conditional Uses
  - 4.2 Conditional Syntax
    - 4.2.1 Ifdef
    - 4.2.2 If
    - 4.2.3 Defined
    - 4.2.4 Else
    - 4.2.5 Elif
  - 4.3 Deleted Code
- 5 Diagnostics
- 6 Line Control
- 7 Pragmas
- 8 Other Directives
- 9 Preprocessor Output
- 10 Traditional Mode
  - 10.1 Traditional lexical analysis
  - 10.2 Traditional macros
  - 10.3 Traditional miscellany
  - 10.4 Traditional warnings
- 11 Implementation Details
  - 11.1 Implementation-defined behavior
  - 11.2 Implementation limits
  - 11.3 Obsolete Features
    - 11.3.1 Assertions
    - 11.3.2 Obsolete once-only headers
  - 11.4 Differences from previous versions
- 12 Invocation
- 13 Environment Variables
- GNU Free Documentation License
  - ADDENDUM: How to use this License for your documents
- Index of Directives
- Option Index
- Concept Index

Next: Overview, Up: (dir)

## The C Preprocessor

The C preprocessor implements the macro language used to transform C, C++, and Objective-C programs before they are compiled. It can also be useful on its own.

--- The Detailed Node Listing ---

Overview

Header Files

Macros

Predefined Macros

Macro Pitfalls

Conditionals

Conditional Syntax

Implementation Details

Obsolete Features

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