Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments

From	Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
Subject	Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments
Date	2015-05-30 15:43 -0700
Organization	None to speak of
Message-ID	<874mmtk7oz.fsf@kst-u.example.com> (permalink)
References	<032b4cc1-a813-4caa-a810-569e1ea3b0ab@googlegroups.com> <87pp5jjd89.fsf@kst-u.example.com> <04b63e89-57a9-4164-9de2-a4715dc5a8ef@googlegroups.com>

Show all headers | View raw

David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> writes:
> On Friday, May 29, 2015 at 2:17:12 PM UTC-7, Keith Thompson wrote:
>> 
>> I can write:
>> 
>>     #define MAX(x, y) ((x) > (y) ? (x) : (y))
>> 
>> How would you suggest writing that as a parameterless macro?
>  
> Wouldn't
>     #define MAX_1 x
>     #define MAX_2 y
>     #define MAX ((MAX_1) > (MAX_2) ? (MAX_1) : (MAX_2))
> do the same thing?

I suppose so.  You could also replace functions with parameters by
assigning the argument expressions to global variables.

Your macro would do the same thing *if* the arguments are literally x
and y, but it's much less clear.

> But better just write what one means without the macro (an unfair
> criticism because you were just writing a simple example).

How would you write MAX() without using a macro?  The point is that it
can take arguments of any type for which ">" is meaningful; a function
can't do that.

-- 
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) kst-u@mib.org  <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
Working, but not speaking, for JetHead Development, Inc.
"We must do something.  This is something.  Therefore, we must do this."
    -- Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, "Yes Minister"

Thread

Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 10:36 -0700
  Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-05-29 19:04 +0100
    Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 07:30 -0700
      Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-05-30 15:51 +0100
  Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-05-29 19:26 +0100
    Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 07:38 -0700
      Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-05-30 21:44 +0100
        Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-05-30 23:58 +0100
          Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-05-31 00:27 +0100
            Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-05-31 10:21 +0100
              Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-05-31 11:00 +0100
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-05-31 09:45 -0700
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-05-31 18:20 +0100
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-05-31 13:04 -0700
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Lew Pitcher <lew.pitcher@digitalfreehold.ca> - 2015-05-31 16:11 -0400
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-05-31 21:48 +0100
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-05-31 14:22 -0700
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 11:33 -0700
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-05-31 20:37 +0100
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-05-31 14:18 -0700
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-05-31 22:44 +0100
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-05-31 23:16 +0100
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 11:58 -0700
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-06-02 01:14 +0100
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-06-02 10:31 +0100
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-06-02 11:06 +0100
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-06-02 11:39 +0100
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2015-06-02 04:02 -0700
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-06-02 12:24 +0100
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Noob <root@127.0.0.1> - 2015-06-02 15:41 +0200
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-06-02 15:00 +0100
                Re: Trolls/Cranks/Kooks Noob <root@127.0.0.1> - 2015-06-02 16:41 +0200
                Re: Trolls/Cranks/Kooks Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-06-02 15:56 +0100
                Re: Trolls/Cranks/Kooks Noob <root@127.0.0.1> - 2015-06-02 17:09 +0200
                Re: Trolls/Cranks/Kooks Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-06-02 16:17 +0100
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-06-02 15:58 +0100
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Dr Nick <nospam-4@temporary-address.org.uk> - 2015-06-02 19:32 +0100
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-06-02 11:00 -0700
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-06-02 20:13 +0100
      Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-05-30 15:17 -0700
        Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-05-31 09:12 -0700
          Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-05-31 13:29 -0700
      Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2015-05-31 17:28 +0200
  Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Morris Dovey <mrdovey@iedu.com> - 2015-05-29 13:35 -0500
  Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments "Chris M. Thomasson" <nospam@nospam.nospam> - 2015-05-29 13:19 -0700
    Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments "Chris M. Thomasson" <nospam@nospam.nospam> - 2015-05-29 13:25 -0700
  Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2015-05-29 14:23 -0600
  Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-05-29 14:16 -0700
    Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 07:46 -0700
      Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Lew Pitcher <lew.pitcher@digitalfreehold.ca> - 2015-05-30 18:28 -0400
        Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-05-31 09:27 -0700
          Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-05-31 17:59 +0100
            Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 11:24 -0700
              Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-06-01 12:15 -0700
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 12:21 -0700
                Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-06-01 12:53 -0700
          Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-05-31 13:36 -0700
          Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2015-05-31 23:26 +0200
            Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-05-31 23:09 +0100
            Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments luser droog <luser.droog@gmail.com> - 2015-05-31 15:51 -0700
              Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 12:08 -0700
        Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-06-01 12:38 -0400
          Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Dr Nick <nospam-4@temporary-address.org.uk> - 2015-06-01 19:20 +0100
          Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 12:18 -0700
      Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-05-30 15:43 -0700
        Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-05-31 09:32 -0700
  Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2015-05-29 22:07 -0500
  Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com - 2015-05-30 09:22 -0700
    Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Morris Dovey <mrdovey@iedu.com> - 2015-05-30 14:22 -0500
      Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-05-30 21:29 +0100
        Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Morris Dovey <mrdovey@iedu.com> - 2015-05-30 22:15 -0500
          Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Morris Dovey <mrdovey@iedu.com> - 2015-06-08 20:16 -0500
  Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2015-05-31 17:32 +0200
  Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-06-01 22:51 +0100

csiph-web