#define-c++ novice question

Hey fellas i am new to all this so please bare with me...im not trying to get you guys to write my program or do my homework ....


This is what I have so far and it isn't working.

Code:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
#define phone 18005551234

int main ( )

{
    cout << phone;
    system ("pause");
    return 0;
}

I am trying to use the define option to cout phone 18005551234. I am not looking for an alternative to display the number. I want to learn how to use this #define option. Thanks in advance.

>This is what I have so far and it isn't working.
How isn't it working? Aside from the number probably being well out of range for an integer on your compiler, everything is fine. I'll go out on a limb and guess that that's the problem, and if you do this then it'll work perfectly:

Code:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
#define phone "18005551234"

int main ( )

{
    cout << phone;
    system ("pause");
    return 0;
}

p.s. The system function is declared in <cstdlib>. Not including it is technically an error even if your compiler allows it.

Or you could make that number a floating point one. Or, in C, a long long.

the 1800... is too large for a long.. using it like this fixes the problem..

#define phone "18005551234"

just a note also that when you make somting a constant you put it in CAPS.. so it can easily be distinguished from other vars..

hth

whoa.. looks like everyone zeroed in on this post at the same time..

That's what always happens.

just a note also that when you make somting a constant you put it in CAPS.. so it can easily be distinguished from other vars..

You don't have to, but that's the convention.

>> You don't have to, but that's the convention.

yeh.. good point..
i was thinkin to say more along the lines of .. its common to put it in caps.. but the fingers apparently didnt listen..

Yeah, it prevents you from doing things like

Code:

#define x 100

x = 3;

One other thing: if you use a string, you can change "18005551234" to "1-800-555-1234". Or you can write your own class to store the phone number . . . .

thanks fellas...

Originally Posted by Victorian

You have to change the phone number to something other than:
#define phone 1800EAT........
Or esle the compiler will not compile the number.

what the ehll is EAT ?

I think the point is that this is valid:

Code:

#define phone "1800EAT"

but this is not:

Code:

#define phone 1800EAT