/E - Copy Preprocessor Output

This option preprocesses the C source file and copies preprocessor output to the standard output device such as your terminal. The /E option adds #line directives to the output. The compiler places #line directives at the beginning and end of each included file and around lines removed by preprocessor directives that specify conditional compilation. You can use the /EP option to suppress the addition of #line to the output.

The output that the /E option generates is identical to the original source file, except that all preprocessor directives are carried out, macro expansions are performed, and comments are removed. Typically, the /E option is used with the /C option to preserve comments in the preprocessed output.

You can use the /E option when you want to resubmit the preprocessed listing for compilation. The #line directives renumber the lines of the preprocessed file so that errors generated during later stages of processing refer to the line numbers of the original source file, rather than to the preprocessed file.

The /E option suppresses compilation; the compiler does not create an object file, even if you specify the alternate output files.

The following example creates a preprocessed file with inserted #line directives from the source file Add.c. The compiler redirects output to the file Preadd.c.

CLxxx /E /C ADD.C > PREADD.C

Where CLxxx is the name of the compiler for the target processor family.

See Also

About Microprocessor Compilers | ARM Guide | Hitachi Guide | MIPS Guide | /C - Preserve Comments During Preprocessing

 Last updated on Thursday, April 08, 2004

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