#ifdef Considered Harmful, or Portability Experience with C News

Authors: 

Henry Spencer, University of Toronto; Geoff Collyer, Software Tool & Die

Abstract: 

We believe that a C programmer's impulse to use #ifdef in an attempt at portability is usually a mistake. Portability is generally the result of advance planning rather than trench warfare involving #ifdef. In the course of developing C News on different systems, we evolved various tactics for dealing with differences among systems without producing a welter of #ifdef at points of difference. We discuss the alternatives to, and occasional proper use of, #ifdef.

BibTeX
@inproceedings {252412,
author = {Henry Spencer and Geoff Collyer},
title = {$\#$ifdef Considered Harmful, or Portability Experience with C News},
booktitle = {USENIX Summer 1992 Technical Conference (USENIX Summer 1992 Technical Conference)},
year = {1992},
address = {San Antonio, TX},
url = {https://www.usenix.org/conference/usenix-summer-1992-technical-conference/ifdef-considered-harmful-or-portability},
publisher = {USENIX Association},
month = jun
}
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Links

Paper: 
http://usenix.org/publications/library/proceedings/sa92/spencer.pdf