#ifndef #ifdef #define in c++

Question

Please explain me #ifndef #ifdef #define meaning and why use this in c++.

Rajkiran Swain · Answer

In C++ the preprocessor directives `#ifndef` `#ifdef` and `#define` are used for conditional compilation. They help in including or excluding specific sections of code during the compilation process based on certain conditions. 1. `#ifndef` (If Not Defined): The `#ifndef` directive checks if a macro or identifier is not defined. If the macro or identifier is not defined the code between `#ifndef` and `#endif` will be included for compilation. Example: #ifndef MY_HEADER_H #define MY_HEADER_H // Code goes here #endif In this example if the macro `MY_HEADER_H` is not defined the code between `#ifndef` and `#endif` will be included for compilation. This is commonly used as an include guard to prevent multiple inclusions of the same header file. 2. `#ifdef` (If Defined): The `#ifdef` directive checks if a macro or identifier is defined. If the macro or identifier is defined the code between `#ifdef` and `#endif` will be included for compilation. Example : #ifdef FEATURE_ENABLED // Code goes here #endif In this example if the macro `FEATURE_ENABLED` is defined the code between `#ifdef` and `#endif` will be included for compilation. This allows conditional compilation based on whether a particular feature is enabled or not. 3. `#define` (Define Macro): The `#define` directive is used to define a macro or identifier with a specified value. Macros are preprocessor constants that can be used to control the compilation process or replace code snippets. Example: #define PI 3.14159 // Code goes here In this example the macro `PI` is defined with the value `3.14159`. This allows you to use `PI` in your code wherever you need to use the constant value of π. The use of these preprocessor directives provides flexibility in controlling which parts of code are included or excluded during compilation based on specific conditions or feature flags. This can help improve code organization optimize resource usage and enable conditional compilation for different environments or configurations.

#ifndef, #ifdef, #define in c++