A preprocessing directive consists of a sequence of preprocessing tokens that satisfies the following constraints: The first token in the sequence is a # preprocessing token that (at the start of translation phase 4) is either the first character in the source file (optionally after white space containing no new-line characters) or that follows white space containing at least one new-line character. The last token in the sequence is the first new-line character that follows the first token in the sequence.146 A new-line character ends the preprocessing directive even if it occurs within what would otherwise be an invocation of a function-like macro.
preprocessing-file: groupopt
group: group-part group group-part
group-part: if-section control-line text-line # non-directive
if-section: if-group elif-groupsopt else-groupopt endif-line
if-group: # if constant-expression new-line groupopt # ifdef identifier new-line groupopt # ifndef identifier new-line groupopt
elif-groups: elif-group elif-groups elif-group
elif-group: # elif constant-expression new-line groupopt
else-group: # else new-line groupopt
endif-line: # endif new-line
control-line: # include pp-tokens new-line # define identifier replacement-list new-line # define identifier lparen identifier-listopt ) replacement-list new-line # define identifier lparen ... ) replacement-list new-line # define identifier lparen identifier-list, ... ) replacement-list new-line # undef identifier new-line # line pp-tokens new-line # error pp-tokensopt new-line # pragma pp-tokensopt new-line # new-line
text-line: pp-tokensopt new-line
non-directive: pp-tokens new-line
lparen: a ( character not immediately preceded by white-space
identifier-list: identifier identifier-list , identifier
replacement-list: pp-tokensopt
pp-tokens: preprocessing-token pp-tokens preprocessing-token
new-line: the new-line character
A text line shall not begin with a # preprocessing token. A non-directive shall not begin with any of the directive names appearing in the syntax.
When in a group that is skipped ([cpp.cond]), the directive syntax is relaxed to allow any sequence of preprocessing tokens to occur between the directive name and the following new-line character.
The only white-space characters that shall appear between preprocessing tokens within a preprocessing directive (from just after the introducing # preprocessing token through just before the terminating new-line character) are space and horizontal-tab (including spaces that have replaced comments or possibly other white-space characters in translation phase 3).
The implementation can process and skip sections of source files conditionally, include other source files, and replace macros. These capabilities are called preprocessing, because conceptually they occur before translation of the resulting translation unit.
The preprocessing tokens within a preprocessing directive are not subject to macro expansion unless otherwise stated.
[ Example: In:
#define EMPTY EMPTY # include <file.h>
the sequence of preprocessing tokens on the second line is not a preprocessing directive, because it does not begin with a # at the start of translation phase 4, even though it will do so after the macro EMPTY has been replaced. — end example ]
Thus, preprocessing directives are commonly called “lines.” These “lines” have no other syntactic significance, as all white space is equivalent except in certain situations during preprocessing (see the # character string literal creation operator in [cpp.stringize], for example).
The expression that controls conditional inclusion shall be an integral constant expression except that identifiers (including those lexically identical to keywords) are interpreted as described below147 and it may contain unary operator expressions of the form
defined identifier
or
defined ( identifier )
which evaluate to 1 if the identifier is currently defined as a macro name (that is, if it is predefined or if it has been the subject of a #define preprocessing directive without an intervening #undef directive with the same subject identifier), 0 if it is not.
Each preprocessing token that remains (in the list of preprocessing tokens that will become the controlling expression) after all macro replacements have occurred shall be in the lexical form of a token ([lex.token]).
Preprocessing directives of the forms
# if constant-expression new-line groupopt # elif constant-expression new-line groupopt
check whether the controlling constant expression evaluates to nonzero.
Prior to evaluation, macro invocations in the list of preprocessing tokens that will become the controlling constant expression are replaced (except for those macro names modified by the defined unary operator), just as in normal text. If the token defined is generated as a result of this replacement process or use of the defined unary operator does not match one of the two specified forms prior to macro replacement, the behavior is undefined. After all replacements due to macro expansion and the defined unary operator have been performed, all remaining identifiers and keywords148, except for true and false, are replaced with the pp-number 0, and then each preprocessing token is converted into a token. The resulting tokens comprise the controlling constant expression which is evaluated according to the rules of [expr.const] using arithmetic that has at least the ranges specified in [support.limits]. For the purposes of this token conversion and evaluation all signed and unsigned integer types act as if they have the same representation as, respectively, intmax_t or uintmax_t ([cstdint]).149 This includes interpreting character literals, which may involve converting escape sequences into execution character set members. Whether the numeric value for these character literals matches the value obtained when an identical character literal occurs in an expression (other than within a #if or #elif directive) is implementation-defined.150 Also, whether a single-character character literal may have a negative value is implementation-defined. Each subexpression with type bool is subjected to integral promotion before processing continues.
Preprocessing directives of the forms
# ifdef identifier new-line groupopt # ifndef identifier new-line groupopt
check whether the identifier is or is not currently defined as a macro name. Their conditions are equivalent to #if defined identifier and #if !defined identifier respectively.
Each directive's condition is checked in order. If it evaluates to false (zero), the group that it controls is skipped: directives are processed only through the name that determines the directive in order to keep track of the level of nested conditionals; the rest of the directives' preprocessing tokens are ignored, as are the other preprocessing tokens in the group. Only the first group whose control condition evaluates to true (nonzero) is processed. If none of the conditions evaluates to true, and there is a #else directive, the group controlled by the #else is processed; lacking a #else directive, all the groups until the #endif are skipped.151
Because the controlling constant expression is evaluated during translation phase 4, all identifiers either are or are not macro names — there simply are no keywords, enumeration constants, etc.
An alternative token ([lex.digraph]) is not an identifier, even when its spelling consists entirely of letters and underscores. Therefore it is not subject to this replacement.
Thus on an implementation where std::numeric_limits<int>::max() is 0x7FFF and std::numeric_limits<unsigned int>::max() is 0xFFFF, the integer literal 0x8000 is signed and positive within a #if expression even though it is unsigned in translation phase 7 ([lex.phases]).
Thus, the constant expression in the following #if directive and if statement is not guaranteed to evaluate to the same value in these two contexts.
#if 'z' - 'a' == 25 if ('z' - 'a' == 25)
As indicated by the syntax, a preprocessing token shall not follow a #else or #endif directive before the terminating new-line character. However, comments may appear anywhere in a source file, including within a preprocessing directive.
A #include directive shall identify a header or source file that can be processed by the implementation.
A preprocessing directive of the form
# include <h-char-sequence> new-line
searches a sequence of implementation-defined places for a header identified uniquely by the specified sequence between the < and > delimiters, and causes the replacement of that directive by the entire contents of the header. How the places are specified or the header identified is implementation-defined.
A preprocessing directive of the form
# include "q-char-sequence" new-line
causes the replacement of that directive by the entire contents of the source file identified by the specified sequence between the " delimiters. The named source file is searched for in an implementation-defined manner. If this search is not supported, or if the search fails, the directive is reprocessed as if it read
# include <h-char-sequence> new-line
with the identical contained sequence (including > characters, if any) from the original directive.
A preprocessing directive of the form
# include pp-tokens new-line
(that does not match one of the two previous forms) is permitted. The preprocessing tokens after include in the directive are processed just as in normal text (i.e., each identifier currently defined as a macro name is replaced by its replacement list of preprocessing tokens). If the directive resulting after all replacements does not match one of the two previous forms, the behavior is undefined.152 The method by which a sequence of preprocessing tokens between a < and a > preprocessing token pair or a pair of " characters is combined into a single header name preprocessing token is implementation-defined.
The implementation shall provide unique mappings for sequences consisting of one or more nondigits or digits ([lex.name]) followed by a period (.) and a single nondigit. The first character shall not be a digit. The implementation may ignore distinctions of alphabetical case.
A #include preprocessing directive may appear in a source file that has been read because of a #include directive in another file, up to an implementation-defined nesting limit.
[ Note: Although an implementation may provide a mechanism for making arbitrary source files available to the < > search, in general programmers should use the < > form for headers provided with the implementation, and the " " form for sources outside the control of the implementation. For instance:
#include <stdio.h> #include <unistd.h> #include "usefullib.h" #include "myprog.h"
— end note ]
[ Example: This illustrates macro-replaced #include directives:
#if VERSION == 1
#define INCFILE "vers1.h"
#elif VERSION == 2
#define INCFILE "vers2.h" // and so on
#else
#define INCFILE "versN.h"
#endif
#include INCFILE
— end example ]
Note that adjacent string literals are not concatenated into a single string literal (see the translation phases in [lex.phases]); thus, an expansion that results in two string literals is an invalid directive.
Two replacement lists are identical if and only if the preprocessing tokens in both have the same number, ordering, spelling, and white-space separation, where all white-space separations are considered identical.
An identifier currently defined as an object-like macro may be redefined by another #define preprocessing directive provided that the second definition is an object-like macro definition and the two replacement lists are identical, otherwise the program is ill-formed. Likewise, an identifier currently defined as a function-like macro may be redefined by another #define preprocessing directive provided that the second definition is a function-like macro definition that has the same number and spelling of parameters, and the two replacement lists are identical, otherwise the program is ill-formed.
There shall be white-space between the identifier and the replacement list in the definition of an object-like macro.
If the identifier-list in the macro definition does not end with an ellipsis, the number of arguments (including those arguments consisting of no preprocessing tokens) in an invocation of a function-like macro shall equal the number of parameters in the macro definition. Otherwise, there shall be more arguments in the invocation than there are parameters in the macro definition (excluding the ...). There shall exist a ) preprocessing token that terminates the invocation.
The identifier __VA_ARGS__ shall occur only in the replacement-list of a function-like macro that uses the ellipsis notation in the parameters.
A parameter identifier in a function-like macro shall be uniquely declared within its scope.
The identifier immediately following the define is called the macro name. There is one name space for macro names. Any white-space characters preceding or following the replacement list of preprocessing tokens are not considered part of the replacement list for either form of macro.
If a # preprocessing token, followed by an identifier, occurs lexically at the point at which a preprocessing directive could begin, the identifier is not subject to macro replacement.
A preprocessing directive of the form
# define identifier replacement-list new-line
defines an object-like macro that causes each subsequent instance of the macro name153 to be replaced by the replacement list of preprocessing tokens that constitute the remainder of the directive.154 The replacement list is then rescanned for more macro names as specified below.
A preprocessing directive of the form
# define identifier lparen identifier-listopt ) replacement-list new-line # define identifier lparen ... ) replacement-list new-line # define identifier lparen identifier-list , ... ) replacement-list new-line
defines a function-like macro with parameters, whose use is similar syntactically to a function call. The parameters are specified by the optional list of identifiers, whose scope extends from their declaration in the identifier list until the new-line character that terminates the #define preprocessing directive. Each subsequent instance of the function-like macro name followed by a ( as the next preprocessing token introduces the sequence of preprocessing tokens that is replaced by the replacement list in the definition (an invocation of the macro). The replaced sequence of preprocessing tokens is terminated by the matching ) preprocessing token, skipping intervening matched pairs of left and right parenthesis preprocessing tokens. Within the sequence of preprocessing tokens making up an invocation of a function-like macro, new-line is considered a normal white-space character.
The sequence of preprocessing tokens bounded by the outside-most matching parentheses forms the list of arguments for the function-like macro. The individual arguments within the list are separated by comma preprocessing tokens, but comma preprocessing tokens between matching inner parentheses do not separate arguments. If there are sequences of preprocessing tokens within the list of arguments that would otherwise act as preprocessing directives,155 the behavior is undefined.
If there is a ... immediately preceding the ) in the function-like macro definition, then the trailing arguments, including any separating comma preprocessing tokens, are merged to form a single item: the variable arguments. The number of arguments so combined is such that, following merger, the number of arguments is one more than the number of parameters in the macro definition (excluding the ...).
Since, by macro-replacement time, all character literals and string literals are preprocessing tokens, not sequences possibly containing identifier-like subsequences (see [lex.phases], translation phases), they are never scanned for macro names or parameters.
An alternative token ([lex.digraph]) is not an identifier, even when its spelling consists entirely of letters and underscores. Therefore it is not possible to define a macro whose name is the same as that of an alternative token.
Despite the name, a non-directive is a preprocessing directive.
After the arguments for the invocation of a function-like macro have been identified, argument substitution takes place. A parameter in the replacement list, unless preceded by a # or ## preprocessing token or followed by a ## preprocessing token (see below), is replaced by the corresponding argument after all macros contained therein have been expanded. Before being substituted, each argument's preprocessing tokens are completely macro replaced as if they formed the rest of the preprocessing file; no other preprocessing tokens are available.
An identifier __VA_ARGS__ that occurs in the replacement list shall be treated as if it were a parameter, and the variable arguments shall form the preprocessing tokens used to replace it.
Each # preprocessing token in the replacement list for a function-like macro shall be followed by a parameter as the next preprocessing token in the replacement list.
A character string literal is a string-literal with no prefix. If, in the replacement list, a parameter is immediately preceded by a # preprocessing token, both are replaced by a single character string literal preprocessing token that contains the spelling of the preprocessing token sequence for the corresponding argument. Each occurrence of white space between the argument's preprocessing tokens becomes a single space character in the character string literal. White space before the first preprocessing token and after the last preprocessing token comprising the argument is deleted. Otherwise, the original spelling of each preprocessing token in the argument is retained in the character string literal, except for special handling for producing the spelling of string literals and character literals: a \ character is inserted before each " and \ character of a character literal or string literal (including the delimiting " characters). If the replacement that results is not a valid character string literal, the behavior is undefined. The character string literal corresponding to an empty argument is "". The order of evaluation of # and ## operators is unspecified.
A ## preprocessing token shall not occur at the beginning or at the end of a replacement list for either form of macro definition.
If, in the replacement list of a function-like macro, a parameter is immediately preceded or followed by a ## preprocessing token, the parameter is replaced by the corresponding argument's preprocessing token sequence; however, if an argument consists of no preprocessing tokens, the parameter is replaced by a placemarker preprocessing token instead.156
For both object-like and function-like macro invocations, before the replacement list is reexamined for more macro names to replace, each instance of a ## preprocessing token in the replacement list (not from an argument) is deleted and the preceding preprocessing token is concatenated with the following preprocessing token. Placemarker preprocessing tokens are handled specially: concatenation of two placemarkers results in a single placemarker preprocessing token, and concatenation of a placemarker with a non-placemarker preprocessing token results in the non-placemarker preprocessing token. If the result is not a valid preprocessing token, the behavior is undefined. The resulting token is available for further macro replacement. The order of evaluation of ## operators is unspecified.
[ Example: In the following fragment:
#define hash_hash # ## # #define mkstr(a) # a #define in_between(a) mkstr(a) #define join(c, d) in_between(c hash_hash d) char p[] = join(x, y); // equivalent to // char p[] = "x ## y";
The expansion produces, at various stages:
join(x, y) in_between(x hash_hash y) in_between(x ## y) mkstr(x ## y) "x ## y"
In other words, expanding hash_hash produces a new token, consisting of two adjacent sharp signs, but this new token is not the ## operator. — end example ]
Placemarker preprocessing tokens do not appear in the syntax because they are temporary entities that exist only within translation phase 4.
After all parameters in the replacement list have been substituted and # and ## processing has taken place, all placemarker preprocessing tokens are removed. Then the resulting preprocessing token sequence is rescanned, along with all subsequent preprocessing tokens of the source file, for more macro names to replace.
If the name of the macro being replaced is found during this scan of the replacement list (not including the rest of the source file's preprocessing tokens), it is not replaced. Furthermore, if any nested replacements encounter the name of the macro being replaced, it is not replaced. These nonreplaced macro name preprocessing tokens are no longer available for further replacement even if they are later (re)examined in contexts in which that macro name preprocessing token would otherwise have been replaced.
The resulting completely macro-replaced preprocessing token sequence is not processed as a preprocessing directive even if it resembles one, but all pragma unary operator expressions within it are then processed as specified in [cpp.pragma.op] below.
A macro definition lasts (independent of block structure) until a corresponding #undef directive is encountered or (if none is encountered) until the end of the translation unit. Macro definitions have no significance after translation phase 4.
A preprocessing directive of the form
# undef identifier new-line
causes the specified identifier no longer to be defined as a macro name. It is ignored if the specified identifier is not currently defined as a macro name.
[ Example: The simplest use of this facility is to define a “manifest constant,” as in
#define TABSIZE 100 int table[TABSIZE];
— end example ]
[ Example: The following defines a function-like macro whose value is the maximum of its arguments. It has the advantages of working for any compatible types of the arguments and of generating in-line code without the overhead of function calling. It has the disadvantages of evaluating one or the other of its arguments a second time (including side effects) and generating more code than a function if invoked several times. It also cannot have its address taken, as it has none.
#define max(a, b) ((a) > (b) ? (a) : (b))
The parentheses ensure that the arguments and the resulting expression are bound properly. — end example ]
[ Example: To illustrate the rules for redefinition and reexamination, the sequence
#define x 3
#define f(a) f(x * (a))
#undef x
#define x 2
#define g f
#define z z[0]
#define h g(~
#define m(a) a(w)
#define w 0,1
#define t(a) a
#define p() int
#define q(x) x
#define r(x,y) x ## y
#define str(x) # x
f(y+1) + f(f(z)) % t(t(g)(0) + t)(1);
g(x+(3,4)-w) | h 5) & m
(f)^m(m);
p() i[q()] = { q(1), r(2,3), r(4,), r(,5), r(,) };
char c[2][6] = { str(hello), str() };
results in
f(2 * (y+1)) + f(2 * (f(2 * (z[0])))) % f(2 * (0)) + t(1);
f(2 * (2+(3,4)-0,1)) | f(2 * (~ 5)) & f(2 * (0,1))^m(0,1);
int i[] = { 1, 23, 4, 5, };
char c[2][6] = { "hello", "" };
— end example ]
[ Example: To illustrate the rules for creating character string literals and concatenating tokens, the sequence
#define str(s) # s
#define xstr(s) str(s)
#define debug(s, t) printf("x" # s "= %d, x" # t "= %s", \
x ## s, x ## t)
#define INCFILE(n) vers ## n
#define glue(a, b) a ## b
#define xglue(a, b) glue(a, b)
#define HIGHLOW "hello"
#define LOW LOW ", world"
debug(1, 2);
fputs(str(strncmp("abc\0d", "abc", '\4') // this goes away
== 0) str(: @\n), s);
#include xstr(INCFILE(2).h)
glue(HIGH, LOW);
xglue(HIGH, LOW)
results in
printf("x" "1" "= %d, x" "2" "= %s", x1, x2);
fputs("strncmp(\"abc\\0d\", \"abc\", '\\4') == 0" ": @\n", s);
#include "vers2.h" (after macro replacement, before file access)
"hello";
"hello" ", world"
or, after concatenation of the character string literals,
printf("x1= %d, x2= %s", x1, x2);
fputs("strncmp(\"abc\\0d\", \"abc\", '\\4') == 0: @\n", s);
#include "vers2.h" (after macro replacement, before file access)
"hello";
"hello, world"
Space around the # and ## tokens in the macro definition is optional. — end example ]
[ Example: To illustrate the rules for placemarker preprocessing tokens, the sequence
#define t(x,y,z) x ## y ## z
int j[] = { t(1,2,3), t(,4,5), t(6,,7), t(8,9,),
t(10,,), t(,11,), t(,,12), t(,,) };
results in
int j[] = { 123, 45, 67, 89,
10, 11, 12, };
— end example ]
[ Example: To demonstrate the redefinition rules, the following sequence is valid.
#define OBJ_LIKE (1-1) #define OBJ_LIKE /* white space */ (1-1) /* other */ #define FUNC_LIKE(a) ( a ) #define FUNC_LIKE( a )( /* note the white space */ \ a /* other stuff on this line */ )
But the following redefinitions are invalid:
#define OBJ_LIKE (0) // different token sequence #define OBJ_LIKE (1 - 1) // different white space #define FUNC_LIKE(b) ( a ) // different parameter usage #define FUNC_LIKE(b) ( b ) // different parameter spelling
— end example ]
[ Example: Finally, to show the variable argument list macro facilities:
#define debug(...) fprintf(stderr, __VA_ARGS__) #define showlist(...) puts(#__VA_ARGS__) #define report(test, ...) ((test) ? puts(#test) : printf(__VA_ARGS__)) debug("Flag"); debug("X = %d\n", x); showlist(The first, second, and third items.); report(x>y, "x is %d but y is %d", x, y);
results in
fprintf(stderr, "Flag");
fprintf(stderr, "X = %d\n", x);
puts("The first, second, and third items.");
((x>y) ? puts("x>y") : printf("x is %d but y is %d", x, y));
The string literal of a #line directive, if present, shall be a character string literal.
The line number of the current source line is one greater than the number of new-line characters read or introduced in translation phase 1 ([lex.phases]) while processing the source file to the current token.
A preprocessing directive of the form
# line digit-sequence new-line
causes the implementation to behave as if the following sequence of source lines begins with a source line that has a line number as specified by the digit sequence (interpreted as a decimal integer). If the digit sequence specifies zero or a number greater than 2147483647, the behavior is undefined.
A preprocessing directive of the form
# line digit-sequence " s-char-sequenceopt " new-line
sets the presumed line number similarly and changes the presumed name of the source file to be the contents of the character string literal.
A preprocessing directive of the form
# line pp-tokens new-line
(that does not match one of the two previous forms) is permitted. The preprocessing tokens after line on the directive are processed just as in normal text (each identifier currently defined as a macro name is replaced by its replacement list of preprocessing tokens). If the directive resulting after all replacements does not match one of the two previous forms, the behavior is undefined; otherwise, the result is processed as appropriate.
A preprocessing directive of the form
# pragma pp-tokensopt new-line
causes the implementation to behave in an implementation-defined manner. The behavior might cause translation to fail or cause the translator or the resulting program to behave in a non-conforming manner. Any pragma that is not recognized by the implementation is ignored.
The following macro names shall be defined by the implementation:
__cplusplus
The name __cplusplus is defined
to the value
201402L
when
compiling a C++ translation unit.157
__DATE__
The date of translation of the source file:
a character string literal of the form
"Mmm dd yyyy",
where the names of the months are the same as those generated
by the
asctime
function,
and the first character of
dd
is a space character if the value is less than 10.
If the date of translation is not available,
an implementation-defined valid date
shall be supplied.
__FILE__
The presumed name of the current source file (a character string
literal).158
__LINE__
The presumed line number (within the current source file) of the current source line
(an integer literal).footnote-1159
__STDC_HOSTED__
The integer literal 1 if the implementation is a hosted
implementation or the integer literal 0 if it is not.
__TIME__
The time of translation of the source file:
a character string literal of the form
"hh:mm:ss"
as in the time generated by the
asctime
function.
If the time of translation is not available,
an implementation-defined valid time shall be supplied.
The following macro names are conditionally defined by the implementation:
__STDC__
Whether __STDC__ is predefined and if so, what its value is,
are implementation-defined.
__STDC_MB_MIGHT_NEQ_WC__
The integer literal 1, intended to indicate that, in the encoding for
wchar_t, a member of the basic character set need not have a code value equal to
its value when used as the lone character in an ordinary character literal.
__STDC_VERSION__
Whether __STDC_VERSION__ is predefined and if so, what its value is,
are implementation-defined.
__STDC_ISO_10646__
An integer literal of the form yyyymmL (for example,
199712L).
If this symbol is defined, then every character in the Unicode required set, when
stored in an object of type wchar_t, has the same value as the short identifier
of that character. The Unicode required set consists of all
the characters that are defined by ISO/IEC 10646, along with
all amendments and technical corrigenda as of the specified year and month.
__STDCPP_STRICT_POINTER_SAFETY__
Defined, and has the value integer literal 1, if and only if the implementation
has strict pointer safety ([basic.stc.dynamic.safety]).
__STDCPP_THREADS__
Defined, and has the value integer literal 1, if and only if a program
can have more than one thread of execution ([intro.multithread]).
The values of the predefined macros (except for __FILE__ and __LINE__) remain constant throughout the translation unit.
If any of the pre-defined macro names in this subclause, or the identifier defined, is the subject of a #define or a #undef preprocessing directive, the behavior is undefined. Any other predefined macro names shall begin with a leading underscore followed by an uppercase letter or a second underscore.
It is intended that future versions of this standard will replace the value of this macro with a greater value. Non-conforming compilers should use a value with at most five decimal digits.
The presumed source file name and line number can be changed by the #line directive.
A unary operator expression of the form:
_Pragma ( string-literal )
is processed as follows: The string literal is destringized by deleting the L prefix, if present, deleting the leading and trailing double-quotes, replacing each escape sequence \" by a double-quote, and replacing each escape sequence \\ by a single backslash. The resulting sequence of characters is processed through translation phase 3 to produce preprocessing tokens that are executed as if they were the pp-tokens in a pragma directive. The original four preprocessing tokens in the unary operator expression are removed.
[ Example:
#pragma listing on "..\listing.dir"
can also be expressed as:
_Pragma ( "listing on \"..\\listing.dir\"" )
The latter form is processed in the same way whether it appears literally as shown, or results from macro replacement, as in:
#define LISTING(x) PRAGMA(listing on #x) #define PRAGMA(x) _Pragma(#x) LISTING( ..\listing.dir )