Microsoft KB Archive/102785

INF: Using Preprocessor Directives to Identify the Platform

PSS ID Number: Q102785 Article last modified on 01-12-1994

2.50 | 2.50 WINDOWS | MS-DOS

= SUMMARY =

Preprocessor directives can make use of constants and any FoxPro function that does not reference variables or database fields. Preprocessor directives cannot make use of user variables or system variables, such as those used to identify the system platform. By using constants with preprocessor directives, you can compile only the code that applies to a specific platform, or you can create a program that checks to see what platform it was compiled under and then acts appropriately. See below for examples.

= MORE INFORMATION =

The system variables _DOS, _WINDOWS, _MAC, _UNIX are run-time variables. They are designed to allow the creation of a program that will run differently on different platforms. For example: DO CASE CASE _DOS ? “this program is running under DOS” CASE _WINDOWS ? “this program is running under Windows” ENDCASE Preprocessor directives are evaluated at compile time. To only compile code that applies to a specific platform, you can define a constant. The compiler directives can then reference this constant as follows: #DEFINE platform ‘DOS’ #IF platform = ‘DOS’ ? “this program was compiled under DOS” #ELIF platform = ‘WINDOWS’ ? “this program was compiled under Windows” #ENDIF The above program will always display, “this program was compiled under DOS” even if it is compiled and run by FoxPro for Windows. To limit compilation of the above program to only the code intended for FoxPro for Windows, simply change the first line to: #DEFINE platform ‘WINDOWS’ You can also use this technique to make a program smart enough to check what platform it is compiled under and act appropriately. For example: #DEFINE mvers version #IF ‘DOS’ $ upper(mvers) ? ‘compiled in DOS’ #ELIF ‘WIN’ $ upper(mvers) ? ‘compiled in Windows’ #ENDIF If the above program is compiled under FoxPro for MS-DOS, it will always display “this program was compiled under DOS”, even if it is run under FoxPro for Windows. Additional reference words: 2.50 Preprocessor #IF System Variables _DOS _WINDOWS _MAC _UNIX Run-time compile-time

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1994.