Self_002dReferential-Macros.html 6.2 KB

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  52. <span id="Self_002dReferential-Macros"></span><div class="header">
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  54. Next: <a href="Argument-Prescan.html" accesskey="n" rel="next">Argument Prescan</a>, Previous: <a href="Duplication-of-Side-Effects.html" accesskey="p" rel="prev">Duplication of Side Effects</a>, Up: <a href="Macro-Pitfalls.html" accesskey="u" rel="up">Macro Pitfalls</a> &nbsp; [<a href="index.html#SEC_Contents" title="Table of contents" rel="contents">Contents</a>][<a href="Index-of-Directives.html" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>]</p>
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  57. <span id="Self_002dReferential-Macros-1"></span><h4 class="subsection">3.10.5 Self-Referential Macros</h4>
  58. <span id="index-self_002dreference"></span>
  59. <p>A <em>self-referential</em> macro is one whose name appears in its
  60. definition. Recall that all macro definitions are rescanned for more
  61. macros to replace. If the self-reference were considered a use of the
  62. macro, it would produce an infinitely large expansion. To prevent this,
  63. the self-reference is not considered a macro call. It is passed into
  64. the preprocessor output unchanged. Consider an example:
  65. </p>
  66. <div class="example">
  67. <pre class="example">#define foo (4 + foo)
  68. </pre></div>
  69. <p>where <code>foo</code> is also a variable in your program.
  70. </p>
  71. <p>Following the ordinary rules, each reference to <code>foo</code> will expand
  72. into <code>(4 + foo)</code>; then this will be rescanned and will expand into
  73. <code>(4 + (4 + foo))</code>; and so on until the computer runs out of memory.
  74. </p>
  75. <p>The self-reference rule cuts this process short after one step, at
  76. <code>(4 + foo)</code>. Therefore, this macro definition has the possibly
  77. useful effect of causing the program to add 4 to the value of <code>foo</code>
  78. wherever <code>foo</code> is referred to.
  79. </p>
  80. <p>In most cases, it is a bad idea to take advantage of this feature. A
  81. person reading the program who sees that <code>foo</code> is a variable will
  82. not expect that it is a macro as well. The reader will come across the
  83. identifier <code>foo</code> in the program and think its value should be that
  84. of the variable <code>foo</code>, whereas in fact the value is four greater.
  85. </p>
  86. <p>One common, useful use of self-reference is to create a macro which
  87. expands to itself. If you write
  88. </p>
  89. <div class="example">
  90. <pre class="example">#define EPERM EPERM
  91. </pre></div>
  92. <p>then the macro <code>EPERM</code> expands to <code>EPERM</code>. Effectively, it is
  93. left alone by the preprocessor whenever it&rsquo;s used in running text. You
  94. can tell that it&rsquo;s a macro with &lsquo;<samp>#ifdef</samp>&rsquo;. You might do this if you
  95. want to define numeric constants with an <code>enum</code>, but have
  96. &lsquo;<samp>#ifdef</samp>&rsquo; be true for each constant.
  97. </p>
  98. <p>If a macro <code>x</code> expands to use a macro <code>y</code>, and the expansion of
  99. <code>y</code> refers to the macro <code>x</code>, that is an <em>indirect
  100. self-reference</em> of <code>x</code>. <code>x</code> is not expanded in this case
  101. either. Thus, if we have
  102. </p>
  103. <div class="example">
  104. <pre class="example">#define x (4 + y)
  105. #define y (2 * x)
  106. </pre></div>
  107. <p>then <code>x</code> and <code>y</code> expand as follows:
  108. </p>
  109. <div class="example">
  110. <pre class="example">x &rarr; (4 + y)
  111. &rarr; (4 + (2 * x))
  112. y &rarr; (2 * x)
  113. &rarr; (2 * (4 + y))
  114. </pre></div>
  115. <p>Each macro is expanded when it appears in the definition of the other
  116. macro, but not when it indirectly appears in its own definition.
  117. </p>
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