Thread: macro to determine if variable is signed/unsigned

Why the fascination with macros - both your threads have been about macros.

Yeah, a function would be a whole lot better.

Why don't you just test it? Try it out on 0, 1, -1, and the maxima for integers.

I don't quite see the need for this function, however. C is a strongly typed language, so the type of a variable shouldn't be ambiguous.

Hey Sal, I don't have a fixation on macros, I am just trying familiarize myself with debugging and ..... I was told this will be helpful on some of new projects- in lieu of some systems work.

Macros cannot be debugged is one thing you should be learning then

I don't know about other compilers, but I know gcc provides a means to see your source code after the preprocessor stage but before the compilation stage. You just use the -E switch:

Code:

itsme@dreams:~/C$ cat preproc.c
#define MIN(x,y) (((x) > (y)) ? (y) : (x))

int main(void)
{
  int a = 5;
  int b = 7;
  int c;

  c = MIN(a, b);

  return 0;
}

Code:

itsme@dreams:~/C$ gcc -Wall -E preproc.c
# 1 "preproc.c"


int main(void)
{
  int a = 5;
  int b = 7;
  int c;

  c = ((( a ) > (  b )) ? (  b ) : ( a )) ;

  return 0;
}
itsme@dreams:~/C$

Maybe you'll find that helpful.