Compiling for variable macros

Hey,

I am running a programming course and want to distribute executable binaries of the model solution of the programming assignment, not the source. The problem model solution requires macros to be altered, which affect the behaviour of the program, which affects what the source code looks like for the compiler.

Instead of distributing multiple binaries or rewriting the code; is there a way to compile for all possible post pre-processor source code and allow the user to alter the macros in a separate header file? In this way I could distribute a single object file and a separate header file which could be linked by the user without them seeing the original source.

Eg.

my_code.c (which will be distributed as .o object file)

Code:

---

//code
#ifdef DEBUG
print debug info
#endif

//more code

#ifdef CLEAN_UP
clean up
#else
dont clean up
#endif

---

my_header.h (a possible user header)

Code:

---

//#define DEBUG
#define CLEAN_UP

---

my_header.h (another possible user header)

Code:

---

#define DEBUG
#define CLEAN_UP

---

You don't have them alter macros after it's been compiled. That wouldn't make any sense.


Quzah.

I smell a good place to use command line arguments and conditionals in your code. Either that or polymorphism via function pointers but I am not a C expert.

It really depends on how much, or rather what type of stuff they're needing to include. Simple stuff, like deciding if you are going to show debug info or not can be done as Wraithan said, with command line args. But if for example, you need to include different headers so it can run on different platforms, then that's not something you can do without recompiling.


Quzah.