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-rw-r--r--gcc/doc/cpp.texi46
1 files changed, 36 insertions, 10 deletions
diff --git a/gcc/doc/cpp.texi b/gcc/doc/cpp.texi
index 8cafb65..94437d5 100644
--- a/gcc/doc/cpp.texi
+++ b/gcc/doc/cpp.texi
@@ -1675,20 +1675,27 @@ macro. We could define @code{eprintf} like this, instead:
@end smallexample
@noindent
-This formulation looks more descriptive, but unfortunately it is less
-flexible: you must now supply at least one argument after the format
-string. In standard C, you cannot omit the comma separating the named
-argument from the variable arguments. Furthermore, if you leave the
-variable argument empty, you will get a syntax error, because
-there will be an extra comma after the format string.
+This formulation looks more descriptive, but historically it was less
+flexible: you had to supply at least one argument after the format
+string. In standard C, you could not omit the comma separating the
+named argument from the variable arguments. (Note that this
+restriction has been lifted in C++2a, and never existed in GNU C; see
+below.)
+
+Furthermore, if you left the variable argument empty, you would have
+gotten a syntax error, because there would have been an extra comma
+after the format string.
@smallexample
eprintf("success!\n", );
@expansion{} fprintf(stderr, "success!\n", );
@end smallexample
-GNU CPP has a pair of extensions which deal with this problem. First,
-you are allowed to leave the variable argument out entirely:
+This has been fixed in C++2a, and GNU CPP also has a pair of
+extensions which deal with this problem.
+
+First, in GNU CPP, and in C++ beginning in C++2a, you are allowed to
+leave the variable argument out entirely:
@smallexample
eprintf ("success!\n")
@@ -1696,8 +1703,24 @@ eprintf ("success!\n")
@end smallexample
@noindent
-Second, the @samp{##} token paste operator has a special meaning when
-placed between a comma and a variable argument. If you write
+Second, C++2a introduces the @code{@w{__VA_OPT__}} function macro.
+This macro may only appear in the definition of a variadic macro. If
+the variable argument has any tokens, then a @code{@w{__VA_OPT__}}
+invocation expands to its argument; but if the variable argument does
+not have any tokens, the @code{@w{__VA_OPT__}} expands to nothing:
+
+@smallexample
+#define eprintf(format, @dots{}) \\
+ fprintf (stderr, format __VA_OPT__(,) __VA_ARGS__)
+@end smallexample
+
+@code{@w{__VA_OPT__}} is also available in GNU C and GNU C++.
+
+Historically, GNU CPP has also had another extension to handle the
+trailing comma: the @samp{##} token paste operator has a special
+meaning when placed between a comma and a variable argument. Despite
+the introduction of @code{@w{__VA_OPT__}}, this extension remains
+supported in GNU CPP, for backward compatibility. If you write
@smallexample
#define eprintf(format, @dots{}) fprintf (stderr, format, ##__VA_ARGS__)
@@ -1730,6 +1753,9 @@ of macro. It may also be forbidden in open text; the standard is
ambiguous. We recommend you avoid using it except for its defined
purpose.
+Likewise, C++ forbids @code{@w{__VA_OPT__}} anywhere outside the
+replacement list of a variadic macro.
+
Variadic macros became a standard part of the C language with C99.
GNU CPP previously supported them
with a named variable argument