| 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. |