Thread: small prob

  1. #1
    Registered User newbie_grg's Avatar
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    Jul 2002
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    small prob

    hi,
    ineed to know what is wrong with this macro definition

    #define fac(a) (a)*fac((a)-1)
    "If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them. "
    -Isaac Asimov(1920-1992)

  2. #2
    Me want cookie! Monster's Avatar
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    You cannot put recursion in a define. What the compiler does is run through the complete code and replace all defines.

    So fac(10) is replaced by: (10)*fac((10)-1)

    Remember that this is compiletime, not runtime, so the compiler does nothing with the value 10.

    After this you will get a link error because the fac function cannot be found.

  3. #3
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    Using macros in C++ is far from perfect. I reckon you should consider using inline functions.

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