Re: [sca-c-cpp] Restriction regarding macros

[Pete Robbins <ROBBINS@uk.ibm.com>]

I think this came from us not wanting
to write a complete c++ parser/compiler to generate any proxies etc. so
it was more the defining of functions that was the issue.

Pete Robbins

Phone: UK (01962) 818667
Notes: Pete Robbins/UK/IBM@IBMGB
email: robbins@uk.ibm.com

Bryan Aupperle <aupperle@us.ibm.com>

17/06/2009 13:35

To	sca-c-cpp@lists.oasis-open.org
cc
Subject	[sca-c-cpp] Restriction regarding macros

Section 9 of the C++ spec (and the C spec as well for that matter) states
that a header file used to define an interface must not use macros.  This
restriction dates back to the OSOA days so I am trying to get a bit of
history on it.  Is the intent to prohibit any use of #define in a
header file (that is the implication of the current wording) or something
less restrictive?  Some specific considerations:

Header guards (should be allowed) 
Manifest constants (probably safe, but use limited to multidimensional
arrays - anything else?) 
Linkage switches - extern or not, etc. (again probably safe and do not
impact mapping to/from WSDL) 
Macro functions (these need to be kept out of interfaces)

What do folks think? 

Thanks 

Bryan Aupperle, Ph.D.
STSM, WebSphere Enterprise Platform Software Solution Architect

Research Triangle Park,  NC 
+1 919-254-7508 (T/L 444-7508)
Internet Address: aupperle@us.ibm.com