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From: Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Effect of CPP tags
Date: Mon, 08 Jan 2024 22:56:00 -0800
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scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) writes:

[..concerning using a macro to determine the number of elements
   in an array, eg

   #define ARRAY_SIZE(a)  (sizeof (a) / sizeof (a)[0])
]

> Indeed.  I do believe that absent standardization, using a macro
> adds a level of indirection that may adversely affect the code
> readability (whether it is ARRAY_SIZE, ARRAY_LENGTH, LENGTH, NUM_ELEMENTS,
> or whatever, I would need to refer to the macro definition to
> determine the intent of the programmer).

This reaction strikes me as being a bit nutty.  I don't insist
that a macro be used in such cases, but I wouldn't object to it
either.  It's much like the question of whether to wrap up
several statements in a separate function definition, or simply
write them inline.  It's almost always true that either choice
is acceptable, depending on what the author wants to emphasize.
There are pluses and minuses on both sides.

There are situations for which using a macro rather than writing
out the code directly nearly always has a predominately negative
effect, but this case isn't one of them.

(To be clear, all of the above simply statements of my own
opinions.)