I have a macro which is used in afile.c and bfile.c (both in module A)
This macro is in aheader.h
Both of these are in different modules/directories and aheader.h module is complied before module A is complied.
Now one way is to do #include "aheader.h" in each of the .c files.
But instead of doing this, is there a way to make some addition in the Makefile (like adding it to the list of headers) for module A,
so that aheader.h is picked for everywhere the macro is used?
#include "aheader.h" is the simple and correct thing to do. C has no feature to auto-include headers when a macro is used.
If you insist on doing it in the makefile, you can add -include aheader.h as a compilation flag. It will include it in all files.
It's possible to use the makefile to add this flag only when the macro is found in the C file, by using grep. But it's complicated makefile work, and I think you're better off without it.
Related
to include /usr/include/test/head1.h file I should write #include "test/head1.h" but how can I just write #include "head1.h" to include this file.
The compiler looks for the usual places like /usr/include for files.
One way to achieve this if you know your compiler already looks at /usr/include for include files anyway, is the following instead:
#include "test/head1.h"
This would be a good approach if you plan to include no more files from /usr/include/test and you know no other include directory has files with similar name to avoid conflict.
Other method would be to give compiler a hint for the directory while compiling:
gcc -I/usr/include/test <other-options> yourcode.c
Have fun writing C!
The answer above mine is correct, but I just wanted to add some advice pertaining to making the #include that you want work if you're using CMake.
If you're using CMake, you can add the path up till your header in CMakeLists.txt, like so:
target_include_directories(<projectname> PUBLIC path/to/headers), and you can add as many paths as you want, separated by spaces.
I'm facing a problem that I don't know how to solve.
Suppose the following typedef struct into a test.h header file:
typedef struct example_struct {
#ifdef CONFIG_A
int A;
#endif;
int B;
} example_struct_t;
I am compiling the code using this header file passing CONFIG_A to the GCC with -D option. This way I am able to include A member to the struct or remove if not needed for a given use case.
Now suppose I generate a shared library (.so) and I would like to distribute it. So, I have the .so library and the headers with precompiler directives. The problem is that I would like not to include the -DCONFIG_A in the program using the library, I mean, I would need to hold the options employed at the library compilation time not only in the source files (.c) but also in the header. That is to say, if a compile the library with -DCONFIG_A option I suppose that program using the library shouldn't include that option in compilation time.
Are the precompiled headers the solution for this problem or is there any other alternative (avoiding include a config.h header in every files defining precompiler directives)?
Thank you so much for the guidance.
You can "generate" the code for the structure definition and ship the generated definition alongside the corresponding library. One idea is to keep your structures in a header with no #includes, in which case you can run the C preprocessor on them to get a file with no #ifdefs (which you can then use to build and ship).
Another way is to do something special in your build system. For example CMake has #cmakedefine which you can use inside a C or C++ source file and then generate code from that.
I have a C project I'm importing to eclipse to work with. It was prewritten but not a C program, so I imported it as a C Makefile program. Actually for some reason the program was written with shell scripts which called the make in the appropriate directories, I added a Makefile that called the shell script, though I'll probably change it to use only make files.
Anyways the unusual thing is that I get exceptions on all the #define variables used in my C code. The variables are defined in a .h file which is included on the top of the C code, and the #include doesn't haev a warning. I can compile the code and run it without exception. Yet I still get dozens of errors where the #define values are used in the editor. The .h which defines the variables is in a different folder then the C code that throws the excception, but adding the folder with the .h into the C include path didn't do any good. Anyone know how I can get the editor to play nice with my #define variables?
Are you actually typing #DEFINE? It's supposed to be #define. C is case sensitive.
Here are some options to investigate the issue further:
Right-click your project in Eclipse, go to Properties -> C/C++ General -> Paths and Symbols -> Symbols. You can check the symbols defined there, maybe something is messing up the preprocessor there.
Add to your g++ command line the following option: -save-temps. This will output some intermediate compilation files. Check the .i or .ii files - these contain the preprocessed output. More information on this g++ option is here.
Also, it would be nice if you could give some more information about the actual errors/warnings.
How is the .h file included in the .c file?
#include <file.h>
or
#include "file.h"
These have different meanings in the preprocessor.
What is the error that you are getting? Is the .h file not found, causing the other errors?
I'm trying to use a non-standard header file (http://ndevilla.free.fr/gnuplot). Its used in lots of codes in various different places on my computer. Currently I have to put the header file and the object file in every folder which its needed with the preprocessor directive:
#include "gnuplot_i.h"
In the file. Is there a way by which I can put the header file in one place so I can reference it like other standard header file. Cheers.
Compile with -I<directory>
E.g.
compile with -I/usr/local/gnuplot/inc.
Also it might be worth your reading up on include paths and the difference between:
#include <include_file.h>
and
#include "include_file.h"
Linking in an object file needs to be done explicitly the same way as a C file, which means (I believe) that you need a full path. However if you archive it into a proper library then you can use -l<library name> and -L<library path> instead. E.g.
gcc -I/usr/local/gnuplot/inc -L/usr/local/gnuplot/lib -lgnuplot -o my_prog my_prog.c
Most compilers have a flag -I that lets you add a directory of your choosing to the search path for include files.
How does one prevent an inclusion cycle in C? ie. You shouldn't have a.h #include "b.h", which #include's "c.h" which #include's "a.h". I'm looking for a way of preventing this from happening using some sort of C directive.
I had originally thought this would've prevented this from happening:
Contents of a.h:
#ifndef __A_H
#define __A_H
#include "b.h"
#endif // __A_H
Contents of b.h:
#ifndef __B_H
#define __B_H
#include "c.h"
#endif // __B_H
Contents of c.h:
#ifndef __C_H
#define __C_H
#include "a.h"
#endif // __C_H
But it doesn't seem to work.
It does work allright: the files are repeatedly included, but the sections protected by #ifdndef/#define/#endif are not repeated, and that breaks the cycle.
Use your compiler to produce the preprocessed output and look at it for yourself. With GNU CC, you need to use "-E" option on the .c[pp] file, like this:
gcc -E $(CFLAGS) -o foo.i foo.cpp
That should work. It's written correctly in your example and compiles fine for me. Did you mistype something in your actual code, or is it really some other problem you're seeing?
You shouldn't start things out with __, though, as that's reserved for the compiler and/or system libraries. Try some other names for your guards.
Macros with leading underscores are reserved for the preprocessor/compiler.
Try changing __*_H to something more standard.
I use HAVE__*_H.
ya in addition to the above things if you are working on turbo c and you are doing a project with these source files then do not attach the header files which are #included in the source files.And even then if it is not working then try it from command prompt because some compiler options give these errors again and again.so here if the header files contents are between the #ifndef and #endif then there will be no problem even you include both the files. So try removing the header files from the project keeping them in the same directory.bcos u didnt specified environment i specified turbo C because i faced this situation once on turbo C with the header files #included in source file and attached to the project files list then there will be "multiple declaration problem".also after compiling (even with errors) go to external command line and go to directory where that file is stored and try with the filename.exe directly.ok
This works.
Just to be sure, I actually compiled a test.c that included a.h with your 3 header files.
I verified this works for several versions of MSVC, Digital Mars and GCC.