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25 .TH FEATURE_TEST_MACROS 7 2010-09-10 "Linux" "Linux Programmer's Manual"
27 feature_test_macros \- feature test macros
30 .B #include <features.h>
33 Feature test macros allow the programmer to control the definitions that
34 are exposed by system header files when a program is compiled.
37 In order to be effective, a feature test macro
38 .IR "must be defined before including any header files" .
39 This can be done either in the compilation command
40 .RI ( "cc \-DMACRO=value" )
41 or by defining the macro within the source code before
42 including any headers.
44 Some feature test macros are useful for creating portable applications,
45 by preventing nonstandard definitions from being exposed.
46 Other macros can be used to expose nonstandard definitions that
47 are not exposed by default.
48 The precise effects of each of the feature test macros described below
49 can be ascertained by inspecting the
52 .SS Specification of feature test macro requirements in manual pages
53 When a function requires that a feature test macro is defined,
54 the manual page SYNOPSIS typically includes a note of the following form
55 (this example from the
60 .B #include <unistd.h>
62 .BI "int acct(const char *" filename );
66 Feature Test Macro Requirements for glibc (see
67 .BR feature_test_macros (7)):
72 _BSD_SOURCE || (_XOPEN_SOURCE && _XOPEN_SOURCE\ <\ 500)
75 The \fB||\fP means that in order to obtain the declaration of
79 \fIeither\fP of the following macro
80 definitions must be made before including any header files:
85 #define _XOPEN_SOURCE /* or any value < 500 */
89 Alternatively, equivalent definitions can be included in the
95 cc \-D_XOPEN_SOURCE # Or any value < 500
99 Note that, as described below,
100 .BR "some feature test macros are defined by default" ,
101 so that it may not always be necessary to
102 explicitly specify the feature test macro(s) shown in the
105 In a few cases, manual pages use a shorthand for expressing the
106 feature test macro requirements (this example from
111 .B #define _GNU_SOURCE
112 .B #include <fcntl.h>
114 .BI "ssize_t readahead(int " fd ", off64_t *" offset ", size_t " count );
118 This format is employed in cases where only a single
119 feature test macro can be used to expose the function
120 declaration, and that macro is not defined by default.
121 .SS Feature test macros understood by glibc
122 The following paragraphs explain how feature test macros are handled
123 in Linux glibc 2.\fIx\fP, \fIx\fP > 0.
124 .\" The details in glibc 2.0 are simpler, but combining a
125 .\" a description of them with the details in later glibc versions
126 .\" would make for a complicated description.
128 Linux glibc understands the following feature test macros:
132 This macro is implicitly defined by
134 when invoked with, for example, the
141 Defining this macro causes header files to expose definitions as follows:
144 The value 1 exposes definitions conforming to POSIX.1-1990 and
147 The value 2 or greater additionally exposes
148 definitions for POSIX.2-1992.
150 The value 199309L or greater additionally exposes
151 definitions for POSIX.1b (real-time extensions).
152 .\" 199506L functionality is only available since glibc 2.1
154 The value 199506L or greater additionally exposes
155 definitions for POSIX.1c (threads).
158 The value 200112L or greater exposes definitions corresponding
159 to the POSIX.1-2001 base specification (excluding the XSI extension).
162 The value 200809L or greater exposes definitions corresponding
163 to the POSIX.1-2008 base specification (excluding the XSI extension).
167 Defining this obsolete macro with any value is equivalent to defining
172 Defining this macro causes header files to expose definitions as follows:
175 Defining with any value exposes
176 definitions conforming to POSIX.1, POSIX.2, and XPG4.
178 The value 500 or greater additionally exposes
179 definitions for SUSv2 (UNIX 98).
181 (Since glibc 2.2) The value 600 or greater additionally exposes
182 definitions for SUSv3 (UNIX 03; i.e., the POSIX.1-2001 base specification
183 plus the XSI extension) and C99 definitions.
185 (Since glibc 2.10) The value 700 or greater additionally exposes
186 definitions for SUSv4 (i.e., the POSIX.1-2008 base specification
187 plus the XSI extension).
190 .B _XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED
191 If this macro is defined, and
193 is defined, then expose definitions corresponding to the XPG4v2
194 (SUSv1) UNIX extensions (UNIX 95).
195 This macro is also implicitly defined if
197 is defined with a value of 500 or more.
200 Exposes C99 extensions to ISO C (1990).
201 This macro is recognized since glibc 2.1.3;
202 earlier glibc 2.1.x versions recognized an equivalent macro named
204 (because the C99 standard had not then been finalized).
205 Although the use of the latter macro is obsolete, glibc continues
206 to recognize it for backward compatibility.
208 .B _LARGEFILE64_SOURCE
209 Expose definitions for the alternative API specified by the
210 LFS (Large File Summit) as a "transitional extension" to the
211 Single UNIX Specification.
212 (See http://opengroup.org/platform/lfs.html.)
213 The alternative API consists of a set of new objects
214 (i.e., functions and types) whose names are suffixed with "64"
223 New programs should not employ this interface; instead
224 .I _FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64
228 Defining this macro with the value 64
229 automatically converts references to 32-bit functions and data types
230 related to file I/O and file system operations into references to
231 their 64-bit counterparts.
232 This is useful for performing I/O on large files (> 2 Gigabytes)
234 (Defining this macro permits correctly written programs to use
235 large files with only a recompilation being required.)
236 64-bit systems naturally permit file sizes greater than 2 Gigabytes,
237 and on those systems this macro has no effect.
240 Defining this macro with any value causes header files to expose
241 BSD-derived definitions.
242 Defining this macro also causes BSD definitions to be preferred in
243 some situations where standards conflict, unless one or more of
246 .BR _POSIX_C_SOURCE ,
248 .BR _XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED ,
251 is defined, in which case BSD definitions are disfavored.
254 Defining this macro with any value causes header files to expose
255 System V-derived definitions.
256 (SVID == System V Interface Definition; see
259 .BR _ATFILE_SOURCE " (since glibc 2.4)"
260 Defining this macro with any value causes header files to expose
261 declarations of a range of functions with the suffix "at";
264 Since glibc 2.10, this macro is also implicitly defined if
266 is defined with a value greater than or equal to 200809L.
269 Defining this macro (with any value) is equivalent to defining
273 .BR _LARGEFILE64_SOURCE ,
275 .BR _XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED ,
278 with the value 200809L
279 (200112L in glibc versions before 2.10;
280 199506L in glibc versions before 2.5;
281 199309L in glibc versions before 2.1)
285 (600 in glibc versions before 2.10;
286 500 in glibc versions before 2.2).
287 In addition, various GNU-specific extensions are also exposed.
288 Where standards conflict, BSD definitions are disfavored.
291 Defining this macro exposes definitions of certain reentrant functions.
292 For multithreaded programs, use
299 provided for compatibility with some other implementations.
301 .BR _FORTIFY_SOURCE " (since glibc 2.3.4)"
302 .\" For more detail, see:
303 .\" http://gcc.gnu.org/ml/gcc-patches/2004-09/msg02055.html
304 .\" [PATCH] Object size checking to prevent (some) buffer overflows
305 .\" * From: Jakub Jelinek <jakub at redhat dot com>
306 .\" * To: gcc-patches at gcc dot gnu dot org
307 .\" * Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 04:16:40 -0400
308 Defining this macro causes some lightweight checks to be performed
309 to detect some buffer overflow errors when employing
310 various string and memory manipulation functions.
311 Not all buffer overflows are detected, just some common cases.
312 In the current implementation checks are added for
331 is set to 1, with compiler optimization level 1
333 and above, checks that shouldn't change the behavior of
334 conforming programs are performed.
337 set to 2 some more checking is added, but
338 some conforming programs might fail.
339 Some of the checks can be performed at compile time,
340 and result in compiler warnings;
341 other checks take place at run time,
342 and result in a run-time error if the check fails.
343 Use of this macro requires compiler support, available with
346 .SS Default definitions, implicit definitions, and combining definitions
348 If no feature test macros are explicitly defined,
349 then the following feature test macros are defined by default:
354 .BR _POSIX_C_SOURCE =200809L
355 (200112L in glibc versions before 2.10;
356 199506L in glibc versions before 2.4;
357 199309L in glibc versions before 2.1).
360 .BR __STRICT_ANSI__ ,
363 .BR _POSIX_C_SOURCE ,
365 .BR _XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED ,
369 is explicitly defined, then
373 are not defined by default.
379 are not explicitly defined,
384 is defined with a value of 500 or more, then
388 is defined with the value 1; and
391 is defined with one of the following values:
397 is defined with a value less than 500;
402 is defined with a value greater than or equal to 500 and less than 600;
405 (since glibc 2.4) 200112L,
408 is defined with a value greater than or equal to 600 and less than 700.
414 is defined with a value greater than or equal to 700.
416 Older versions of glibc do not know about the values
417 200112L and 200809L for
418 .BR _POSIX_C_SOURCE ,
419 and the setting of this macro will depend on the glibc version.
423 is undefined, then the setting of
425 depends on the glibc version:
426 199506L, in glibc versions before 2.4;
427 200112L, in glibc 2.4 to 2.9; and
428 200809L, since glibc 2.10.
432 Multiple macros can be defined; the results are additive.
435 .BR _POSIX_C_SOURCE ,
439 .B _XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED
440 was specified by XPG4v2 (aka SUSv1).
443 is not specified by any standard,
444 but is employed on some other implementations.
450 .BR _FORTIFY_SOURCE ,
454 are specific to Linux (glibc).
457 is a Linux/glibc-specific header file.
458 Other systems have an analogous file, but typically with a different name.
459 This header file is automatically included by other header files as
460 required: it is not necessary to explicitly include it in order to
461 employ feature test macros.
463 According to which of the above feature test macros are defined,
465 internally defines various other macros that are checked by
466 other glibc header files.
467 These macros have names prefixed by two underscores (e.g.,
469 Programs should \fInever\fP define these macros directly:
470 instead, the appropriate feature test macro(s) from the
471 list above should be employed.
473 The program below can be used to explore how the various
474 feature test macros are set depending on the glibc version
475 and what feature test macros are explicitly set.
476 The following shell session, on a system with glibc 2.10,
477 shows some examples of what we would see:
483 _POSIX_SOURCE defined
484 _POSIX_C_SOURCE defined: 200809L
487 _ATFILE_SOURCE defined
488 $ \fBcc -D_XOPEN_SOURCE=500 ftm.c\fP
490 _POSIX_SOURCE defined
491 _POSIX_C_SOURCE defined: 199506L
492 _XOPEN_SOURCE defined: 500
493 $ \fBcc -D_GNU_SOURCE ftm.c\fP
495 _POSIX_SOURCE defined
496 _POSIX_C_SOURCE defined: 200809L
497 _ISOC99_SOURCE defined
498 _XOPEN_SOURCE defined: 700
499 _XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED defined
500 _LARGEFILE64_SOURCE defined
503 _ATFILE_SOURCE defined
517 main(int argc, char *argv[])
520 printf("_POSIX_SOURCE defined\\n");
523 #ifdef _POSIX_C_SOURCE
524 printf("_POSIX_C_SOURCE defined: %ldL\\n", (long) _POSIX_C_SOURCE);
527 #ifdef _ISOC99_SOURCE
528 printf("_ISOC99_SOURCE defined\\n");
532 printf("_XOPEN_SOURCE defined: %d\\n", _XOPEN_SOURCE);
535 #ifdef _XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED
536 printf("_XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED defined\\n");
539 #ifdef _LARGEFILE64_SOURCE
540 printf("_LARGEFILE64_SOURCE defined\\n");
543 #ifdef _FILE_OFFSET_BITS
544 printf("_FILE_OFFSET_BITS defined: %d\\n", _FILE_OFFSET_BITS);
548 printf("_BSD_SOURCE defined\\n");
552 printf("_SVID_SOURCE defined\\n");
555 #ifdef _ATFILE_SOURCE
556 printf("_ATFILE_SOURCE defined\\n");
560 printf("_GNU_SOURCE defined\\n");
564 printf("_REENTRANT defined\\n");
568 printf("_THREAD_SAFE defined\\n");
571 #ifdef _FORTIFY_SOURCE
572 printf("_FORTIFY_SOURCE defined\\n");
582 The section "Feature Test Macros" under
584 .\" But beware: the info libc document is out of date (Jul 07, mtk)
586 .I /usr/include/features.h