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

From	Bartc <bc@freeuk.com>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
Subject	Re: Making C more beautiful by not using macros with arguments
Date	2015-05-30 15:51 +0100
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<mkcinn$fmf$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	<032b4cc1-a813-4caa-a810-569e1ea3b0ab@googlegroups.com> <mka9ks$8sj$1@dont-email.me> <2c500e91-95f2-4356-bdae-d5a6be878d78@googlegroups.com>

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On 30/05/2015 15:30, David Kleinecke wrote:
> On Friday, May 29, 2015 at 11:04:32 AM UTC-7, Bart wrote:

>> It's important because C doesn't use a symbol such as "=" or ":" between
>> a macro, and any arguments, and what it's defined as.
>>

> My God, you misunderstood my comment in a way I hadn't expected. I
> wrote "It is hard, at this distance, to see why they thought that was
> important." meaning about why they thought they needed macros with
> arguments not about the space. I should hav been clearer.

OK. But my comments about using "=" with define still stands; that would 
have saved a lot of trouble.

>> Probably 90% of C code depends on macros with arguments. /That/ is one
>> of the ugliest features of the language, never mind that extra space.
>>
>> (It also means the language misses out on some proper new features,
>> because people can just cobble together their own ugly home-made macros
>> to half-do the job instead.)
>
> I don't much like the pre-processor but it is indespensible - if only for
> #include (and conditional compilation). #define has two functions - as
> flags for conditional compilation and as true expanding macros. We need
> the flags - I think we could get along without expansions.

None of the languages I've used (mostly home-made ones) have had macros 
with arguments. That includes those that do the same job as C, but so 
far I'm managed fine without such macros.

There are some lexical features along the lines of C's pre-processor, 
but they are little used, except for code that originated as C.

C, however, seems to find this stuff indispensable. Partly, because some 
code needs to work in many different configurations, but then the source 
becomes impossible to follow, just a mess of macros and conditional code.

I however prefer to find alternate solutions.

-- 
Bartc

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

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