lh | 9ed821d | 2023-04-07 01:36:19 -0700 | [diff] [blame^] | 1 | @node Feature Test Macros |
| 2 | @subsection Feature Test Macros |
| 3 | |
| 4 | @cindex feature test macros |
| 5 | The exact set of features available when you compile a source file |
| 6 | is controlled by which @dfn{feature test macros} you define. |
| 7 | |
| 8 | If you compile your programs using @samp{gcc -ansi}, you get only the |
| 9 | @w{ISO C} library features, unless you explicitly request additional |
| 10 | features by defining one or more of the feature macros. |
| 11 | @xref{Invoking GCC,, GNU CC Command Options, gcc.info, The GNU CC Manual}, |
| 12 | for more information about GCC options.@refill |
| 13 | |
| 14 | You should define these macros by using @samp{#define} preprocessor |
| 15 | directives at the top of your source code files. These directives |
| 16 | @emph{must} come before any @code{#include} of a system header file. It |
| 17 | is best to make them the very first thing in the file, preceded only by |
| 18 | comments. You could also use the @samp{-D} option to GCC, but it's |
| 19 | better if you make the source files indicate their own meaning in a |
| 20 | self-contained way. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | This system exists to allow the library to conform to multiple standards. |
| 23 | Although the different standards are often described as supersets of each |
| 24 | other, they are usually incompatible because larger standards require |
| 25 | functions with names that smaller ones reserve to the user program. This |
| 26 | is not mere pedantry --- it has been a problem in practice. For instance, |
| 27 | some non-GNU programs define functions named @code{getline} that have |
| 28 | nothing to do with this library's @code{getline}. They would not be |
| 29 | compilable if all features were enabled indiscriminately. |
| 30 | |
| 31 | This should not be used to verify that a program conforms to a limited |
| 32 | standard. It is insufficient for this purpose, as it will not protect you |
| 33 | from including header files outside the standard, or relying on semantics |
| 34 | undefined within the standard. |
| 35 | |
| 36 | @comment (none) |
| 37 | @comment POSIX.1 |
| 38 | @defvr Macro _POSIX_SOURCE |
| 39 | If you define this macro, then the functionality from the POSIX.1 |
| 40 | standard (IEEE Standard 1003.1) is available, as well as all of the |
| 41 | @w{ISO C} facilities. |
| 42 | |
| 43 | The state of @code{_POSIX_SOURCE} is irrelevant if you define the |
| 44 | macro @code{_POSIX_C_SOURCE} to a positive integer. |
| 45 | @end defvr |
| 46 | |
| 47 | @comment (none) |
| 48 | @comment POSIX.2 |
| 49 | @defvr Macro _POSIX_C_SOURCE |
| 50 | Define this macro to a positive integer to control which POSIX |
| 51 | functionality is made available. The greater the value of this macro, |
| 52 | the more functionality is made available. |
| 53 | |
| 54 | If you define this macro to a value greater than or equal to @code{1}, |
| 55 | then the functionality from the 1990 edition of the POSIX.1 standard |
| 56 | (IEEE Standard 1003.1-1990) is made available. |
| 57 | |
| 58 | If you define this macro to a value greater than or equal to @code{2}, |
| 59 | then the functionality from the 1992 edition of the POSIX.2 standard |
| 60 | (IEEE Standard 1003.2-1992) is made available. |
| 61 | |
| 62 | If you define this macro to a value greater than or equal to @code{199309L}, |
| 63 | then the functionality from the 1993 edition of the POSIX.1b standard |
| 64 | (IEEE Standard 1003.1b-1993) is made available. |
| 65 | |
| 66 | Greater values for @code{_POSIX_C_SOURCE} will enable future extensions. |
| 67 | The POSIX standards process will define these values as necessary, and |
| 68 | @theglibc{} should support them some time after they become standardized. |
| 69 | The 1996 edition of POSIX.1 (ISO/IEC 9945-1: 1996) states that |
| 70 | if you define @code{_POSIX_C_SOURCE} to a value greater than |
| 71 | or equal to @code{199506L}, then the functionality from the 1996 |
| 72 | edition is made available. |
| 73 | @end defvr |
| 74 | |
| 75 | @comment (none) |
| 76 | @comment X/Open |
| 77 | @defvr Macro _XOPEN_SOURCE |
| 78 | @comment (none) |
| 79 | @comment X/Open |
| 80 | @defvrx Macro _XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED |
| 81 | If you define this macro, functionality described in the X/Open |
| 82 | Portability Guide is included. This is a superset of the POSIX.1 and |
| 83 | POSIX.2 functionality and in fact @code{_POSIX_SOURCE} and |
| 84 | @code{_POSIX_C_SOURCE} are automatically defined. |
| 85 | |
| 86 | As the unification of all Unices, functionality only available in |
| 87 | BSD and SVID is also included. |
| 88 | |
| 89 | If the macro @code{_XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED} is also defined, even more |
| 90 | functionality is available. The extra functions will make all functions |
| 91 | available which are necessary for the X/Open Unix brand. |
| 92 | |
| 93 | If the macro @code{_XOPEN_SOURCE} has the value @math{500} this includes |
| 94 | all functionality described so far plus some new definitions from the |
| 95 | Single Unix Specification, @w{version 2}. |
| 96 | @end defvr |
| 97 | |
| 98 | @comment (NONE) |
| 99 | @comment X/Open |
| 100 | @defvr Macro _LARGEFILE_SOURCE |
| 101 | If this macro is defined some extra functions are available which |
| 102 | rectify a few shortcomings in all previous standards. Specifically, |
| 103 | the functions @code{fseeko} and @code{ftello} are available. Without |
| 104 | these functions the difference between the @w{ISO C} interface |
| 105 | (@code{fseek}, @code{ftell}) and the low-level POSIX interface |
| 106 | (@code{lseek}) would lead to problems. |
| 107 | |
| 108 | This macro was introduced as part of the Large File Support extension (LFS). |
| 109 | @end defvr |
| 110 | |
| 111 | @comment (NONE) |
| 112 | @comment X/Open |
| 113 | @defvr Macro _LARGEFILE64_SOURCE |
| 114 | If you define this macro an additional set of functions is made available |
| 115 | which enables @w{32 bit} systems to use files of sizes beyond |
| 116 | the usual limit of 2GB. This interface is not available if the system |
| 117 | does not support files that large. On systems where the natural file |
| 118 | size limit is greater than 2GB (i.e., on @w{64 bit} systems) the new |
| 119 | functions are identical to the replaced functions. |
| 120 | |
| 121 | The new functionality is made available by a new set of types and |
| 122 | functions which replace the existing ones. The names of these new objects |
| 123 | contain @code{64} to indicate the intention, e.g., @code{off_t} |
| 124 | vs. @code{off64_t} and @code{fseeko} vs. @code{fseeko64}. |
| 125 | |
| 126 | This macro was introduced as part of the Large File Support extension |
| 127 | (LFS). It is a transition interface for the period when @w{64 bit} |
| 128 | offsets are not generally used (see @code{_FILE_OFFSET_BITS}). |
| 129 | @end defvr |
| 130 | |
| 131 | @comment (NONE) |
| 132 | @comment X/Open |
| 133 | @defvr Macro _FILE_OFFSET_BITS |
| 134 | This macro determines which file system interface shall be used, one |
| 135 | replacing the other. Whereas @code{_LARGEFILE64_SOURCE} makes the @w{64 |
| 136 | bit} interface available as an additional interface, |
| 137 | @code{_FILE_OFFSET_BITS} allows the @w{64 bit} interface to |
| 138 | replace the old interface. |
| 139 | |
| 140 | If @code{_FILE_OFFSET_BITS} is undefined, or if it is defined to the |
| 141 | value @code{32}, nothing changes. The @w{32 bit} interface is used and |
| 142 | types like @code{off_t} have a size of @w{32 bits} on @w{32 bit} |
| 143 | systems. |
| 144 | |
| 145 | If the macro is defined to the value @code{64}, the large file interface |
| 146 | replaces the old interface. I.e., the functions are not made available |
| 147 | under different names (as they are with @code{_LARGEFILE64_SOURCE}). |
| 148 | Instead the old function names now reference the new functions, e.g., a |
| 149 | call to @code{fseeko} now indeed calls @code{fseeko64}. |
| 150 | |
| 151 | This macro should only be selected if the system provides mechanisms for |
| 152 | handling large files. On @w{64 bit} systems this macro has no effect |
| 153 | since the @code{*64} functions are identical to the normal functions. |
| 154 | |
| 155 | This macro was introduced as part of the Large File Support extension |
| 156 | (LFS). |
| 157 | @end defvr |
| 158 | |
| 159 | @comment (none) |
| 160 | @comment GNU |
| 161 | @defvr Macro _ISOC99_SOURCE |
| 162 | Until the revised @w{ISO C} standard is widely adopted the new features |
| 163 | are not automatically enabled. @Theglibc{} nevertheless has a complete |
| 164 | implementation of the new standard and to enable the new features the |
| 165 | macro @code{_ISOC99_SOURCE} should be defined. |
| 166 | @end defvr |
| 167 | |
| 168 | @comment (none) |
| 169 | @comment GNU |
| 170 | @defvr Macro _GNU_SOURCE |
| 171 | If you define this macro, everything is included: @w{ISO C89}, @w{ISO |
| 172 | C99}, POSIX.1, POSIX.2, BSD, SVID, X/Open, LFS, and GNU extensions. In |
| 173 | the cases where POSIX.1 conflicts with BSD, the POSIX definitions take |
| 174 | precedence. |
| 175 | @end defvr |
| 176 | |
| 177 | @comment (none) |
| 178 | @comment GNU |
| 179 | @defvr Macro _DEFAULT_SOURCE |
| 180 | If you define this macro, most features are included apart from |
| 181 | X/Open, LFS and GNU extensions: the effect is to enable features from |
| 182 | the 2008 edition of POSIX, as well as certain BSD and SVID features |
| 183 | without a separate feature test macro to control them. Defining this |
| 184 | macro, on its own and without using compiler options such as |
| 185 | @option{-ansi} or @option{-std=c99}, has the same effect as not |
| 186 | defining any feature test macros; defining it together with other |
| 187 | feature test macros, or when options such as @option{-ansi} are used, |
| 188 | enables those features even when the other options would otherwise |
| 189 | cause them to be disabled. |
| 190 | @end defvr |
| 191 | |
| 192 | @comment (none) |
| 193 | @comment GNU |
| 194 | @defvr Macro _REENTRANT |
| 195 | @defvrx Macro _THREAD_SAFE |
| 196 | If you define one of these macros, reentrant versions of several functions get |
| 197 | declared. Some of the functions are specified in POSIX.1c but many others |
| 198 | are only available on a few other systems or are unique to @theglibc{}. |
| 199 | The problem is the delay in the standardization of the thread safe C library |
| 200 | interface. |
| 201 | |
| 202 | Unlike on some other systems, no special version of the C library must be |
| 203 | used for linking. There is only one version but while compiling this |
| 204 | it must have been specified to compile as thread safe. |
| 205 | @end defvr |
| 206 | |
| 207 | We recommend you use @code{_GNU_SOURCE} in new programs. If you don't |
| 208 | specify the @samp{-ansi} option to GCC, or other conformance options |
| 209 | such as @option{-std=c99}, and don't define any of these macros |
| 210 | explicitly, the effect is the same as defining @code{_DEFAULT_SOURCE} |
| 211 | to 1. |
| 212 | |
| 213 | When you define a feature test macro to request a larger class of features, |
| 214 | it is harmless to define in addition a feature test macro for a subset of |
| 215 | those features. For example, if you define @code{_POSIX_C_SOURCE}, then |
| 216 | defining @code{_POSIX_SOURCE} as well has no effect. Likewise, if you |
| 217 | define @code{_GNU_SOURCE}, then defining either @code{_POSIX_SOURCE} or |
| 218 | @code{_POSIX_C_SOURCE} as well has no effect. |