#define-s for clarity/convenience

Hello.

I enclose herewith some #define-s I created for clarity. They are in the public domain to be used if anyone finds them useful.

I also request the experienced programmers here to share any such #define-s they may have. I and others may benefit. Please also specify the terms for usage.

Shriramana Sharma.

// (c) Shriramana Sharma, 2007. Placed in the public domain by the author. // version 2, 2007-06-23

//
// some replacements using # define for ambiguous/pitfall/unclear/related keywords/operators in C++ for convenience // it would be nice if the following replacements (even with other replacers) were to be part of a future C++ standard // the current usages can be supported with deprecated status
//

//
// in the following comments, "declaration" also means "implicitly declaring definition" unless stated otherwise //

//--------
// static
//--------

// "local" for "static" in declarations of variables and functions at file scope which are desired to be visible only in the current translation unit

# define local static

// "sticky" for "static" in declarations of local variables inside a function which should retain their value between function calls

# define sticky static

// "classwide" for "static" in declarations of local variables inside a class which are common to all instances of that class

# define classwide static

// "nothis" for "static" in declarations of member functions inside a class which can be called without an instance of that class

# define nothis static

//--------
// extern
//--------

// "exists" for "extern" in pure declarations (no implictly declaring definitions) of variables, types and functions which are defined elsewhere

# define exists extern
// in a future standard if "exists" is used in an implicitly declaring definition it should be an error
// if there is no "exists" in a line declaring a variable then it means memory should be allocated for that variable; if there is "exists", then no memory is allocated

// "global" for "extern" in declarations of variables and functions which are desired to be visible across all translation units; complement to "local" above

# define global extern
// this may of course be omitted since it is the default
// in a future version of GCC implementing a future standard, when "global" is used in an implicitly declaring definition there should be no warning -- currently GCC warns when "extern" is used here

// "decorateas" for "extern" to enclose declarations of functions which must be decorated in a particular way - i.e. "C" or "C++"

# define decorateas extern

//
// other:
//

// "pure" for "= 0" for declarations of pure virtual functions in classes
// since pure virtual means no definition exists, the word declarations here above does not include implicitly declaring definitions

# define pure = 0
// in a future standard preferably the word "pure" can be written before "virtual" instead of at the end of the declaration as provided by this # define

//---
// &
//---

// "ref" for "&" in declarations of variables and functions to denote a reference

# define ref &

// "addr" for "&" for extracting the address of a variable or function

# define addr(X) & X

//---
// *
//---

// "ptr" for "*" in declarations of variables and functions to denote a pointer

# define ptr *

// "ptee()" for "*" for dereferencing pointers; ptee = pointee, just as ptr = pointer

# define ptee(X) * X