Thread: Declaring '#define's that build on each other?

  1. 05-06-2020 #1
    Yonut
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    Declaring '#define's that build on each other?

    Hi,

    When I create a bash shell script, and there are user defined constants needed, I like to create constants that build on each other. For example:

    Code:
    readonly base_path="/home/somehere/"
readonly user_filename="${base_path}some_file.txt"
readonly log_filename="${base_path}log_file.txt"
    Which allows the user to change 'base_path' to what they need, but updates two (or more) variables. Less chance the user screws up or forgets one of them.

    Is this at all possible in C with '#define'? And if so, how? I'm not having much luck with my searches.

    Ty.
  2. 05-06-2020 #2
    Yonut
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    Found it. Can someone delete this post please?
  3. 05-06-2020 #3
    laserlight
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    Adjacent string literals are concatenated, and recall that the preprocessor does fairly simple substitution.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
  4. 05-06-2020 #4
    john.c
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    Yes, that is commonly done. The trick is that consecutive string literals, separated by only whitespace (incl. newlines) are "pasted" together into one string literal.
    Code:
    #define BASE_PATH     "/home/somehere/"
#define USER_FILENAME (BASE_PATH "some_file.txt")
#define LOG_FILENAME  (BASE_PATH "log_file.txt")
    A little inaccuracy saves tons of explanation. - H.H. Munro
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