CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++header-fileslibraries
Sophia_ES
Sophia_ES

Reputation: 1361

Creating Library Header Files in C++? (As opposed to old-fashined C?)

I have just learned C++ -- and I decided one project I am working for, I am better off going back to the drawing board and writing it from scratch in C++, rather than trudging on with C.

There is just one concern --- part of this project includes libraries. Some libraries will not be needed in C++, but some will.

I notice that the syntax for including library headers is different in C++ than it is in C. In C you write the following:

#include <someheader.h>

On the other hand, in C++ what you type is the following (if it is a C++ library):

#include <someheader>

Because of this, I am wary that there might be some differences in how I put together a C++ header file than in how I put together a C header file -- or at least some difference in how I name it in the file-system.

So does anyone have any information what I need to know in putting together a C++ library-header file as opposed to one for C?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 377

Answers (2)

gomons
gomons

Reputation: 1976

Feel free to mix standard C headers with standard C++ headers. But be consistent. For C++ project use <cstdlib>, for C use <stdlib.h>, because C++ headers uses namespaces and you can avoid name collisions. All standard C headers duplicated in C++, so you can freely use C library in C++ code.

If you look to <cstdlib> you will see that it includes <stdlib.h>. It is true for other standard C headers.

Upvotes: 0

The name&#39;s Bob. MS Bob.
The name&#39;s Bob. MS Bob.

Reputation: 869

There is no difference. Most, if not all, of the standard C++ library include files do not have a .h extension, to distinguish them from C library includes. The original C standard header file names are deprecated in C++, although virtually every compiler still supports them, and changed in name to c followed by the original C file name, without the .h extension.

For example: In C, the header file relating to strings is string.h, but the C++ header file relating to strings is string. The original C header file can also be accessed in C++ as cstring.

Upvotes: 5

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