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From: jamiller@hpcupt1.HP.COM (Jim Miller)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: Re: f***ing comments -- another pitfall to avoid
Message-ID: <7050014@hpcupt1.HP.COM>
Date: 4 Jun 90 20:54:20 GMT
References: <31891@sparkyfs.istc.sri.com>
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Cupertino
Lines: 29


IMO, "#define"'s are text processing, not language.  Putting language
specific stuff into the text processor will only confuse the issue.

If in normal C++ you write:
    a += b; // comment \
    x += y;
    z += w;

the resultant code would be:
    a += b;
    z += w;

EXACTLY like what happened in the #define  (how about that!)

Changing "#define" behavior then will make it impossible to understand what
the result of a macro will be (now, do I have yet another special case or
is this one of those few standard cases :-). 
I know, I know, just this one little change, no more  ...

In addition, people get are using the pre-processor for other things
than C and C++.  Nasty people, I know, but changing the pre-processor
will make it unusable to many who are using it in this evil way.


    jim - consistency is the hob-goblin of little minds - miller

    The place where I work doesn't even know I have opinions,
    let alone approve of them.