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The `#if' Directive

The `#if' directive in its simplest form consists of

#if expression
controlled text
#endif /* expression */

The comment following the `#endif' is not required, but it is a good practice because it helps people match the `#endif' to the corresponding `#if'. Such comments should always be used, except in short conditionals that are not nested. In fact, you can put anything at all after the `#endif' and it will be ignored by the GNU C preprocessor, but only comments are acceptable in ANSI Standard C.

expression is a C expression of integer type, subject to stringent restrictions. It may contain

Note that `sizeof' operators and enum-type values are not allowed. enum-type values, like all other identifiers that are not taken as macro calls and expanded, are treated as zero.

The controlled text inside of a conditional can include preprocessing directives. Then the directives inside the conditional are obeyed only if that branch of the conditional succeeds. The text can also contain other conditional groups. However, the `#if' and `#endif' directives must balance.


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