glibc/manual/creature.texi

@node Feature Test Macros
@subsection Feature Test Macros

@cindex feature test macros
The exact set of features available when you compile a source file
is controlled by which @dfn{feature test macros} you define.

If you compile your programs using @samp{gcc -ansi}, you get only the
@w{ISO C} library features, unless you explicitly request additional
features by defining one or more of the feature macros.
@xref{Invoking GCC,, GNU CC Command Options, gcc.info, The GNU CC Manual},
for more information about GCC options.@refill

You should define these macros by using @samp{#define} preprocessor
directives at the top of your source code files.  These directives
@emph{must} come before any @code{#include} of a system header file.  It
is best to make them the very first thing in the file, preceded only by
comments.  You could also use the @samp{-D} option to GCC, but it's
better if you make the source files indicate their own meaning in a
self-contained way.

@comment (none)
@comment POSIX.1
@defvr Macro _POSIX_SOURCE
If you define this macro, then the functionality from the POSIX.1
standard (IEEE Standard 1003.1) is available, as well as all of the
@w{ISO C} facilities.
@end defvr

@comment (none)
@comment POSIX.2
@defvr Macro _POSIX_C_SOURCE
If you define this macro with a value of @code{1}, then the
functionality from the POSIX.1 standard (IEEE Standard 1003.1) is made
available.  If you define this macro with a value of @code{2}, then both
the functionality from the POSIX.1 standard and the functionality from
the POSIX.2 standard (IEEE Standard 1003.2) are made available.  This is
in addition to the @w{ISO C} facilities.
@end defvr

@comment (none)
@comment GNU
@defvr Macro _BSD_SOURCE
If you define this macro, functionality derived from 4.3 BSD Unix is
included as well as the @w{ISO C}, POSIX.1, and POSIX.2 material.

Some of the features derived from 4.3 BSD Unix conflict with the
corresponding features specified by the POSIX.1 standard.  If this
macro is defined, the 4.3 BSD definitions take precedence over the
POSIX definitions.

Due to the nature of some of the conflicts between 4.3 BSD and POSIX.1,
you need to use a special @dfn{BSD compatibility library} when linking
programs compiled for BSD compatibility.  This is because some functions
must be defined in two different ways, one of them in the normal C
library, and one of them in the compatibility library.  If your program
defines @code{_BSD_SOURCE}, you must give the option @samp{-lbsd-compat}
to the compiler or linker when linking the program, to tell it to find
functions in this special compatibility library before looking for them in
the normal C library.
@pindex -lbsd-compat
@pindex bsd-compat
@cindex BSD compatibility library.
@end defvr

@comment (none)
@comment GNU
@defvr Macro _SVID_SOURCE
If you define this macro, functionality derived from SVID is
included as well as the @w{ISO C}, POSIX.1, POSIX.2, and X/Open material.
@end defvr

@comment (none)
@comment XOPEN
@defvr Macro _XOPEN_SOURCE
@defvrx Macro _XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED
If you define this macro, functionality described in the X/Open
Portability Guide is included.  This is a superset of the POSIX.1 and
POSIX.2 functionality and in fact @code{_POSIX_SOURCE} and
@code{_POSIX_C_SOURCE} are automatically defined.

As the unification of all Unices, functionality only available in
BSD and SVID is also included.

If the macro @code{_XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED} is also defined, even more
functionality is available.  The extra functions will make all functions
available which are necessary for the X/Open Unix brand.

If the macro @code{_XOPEN_SOURCE} has the value @math{500} this includes
all functionality described so far plus some new definitions from the
Single Unix specification, @w{version 2}.
@end defvr

@comment (none)
@comment GNU
@defvr Macro _GNU_SOURCE
If you define this macro, everything is included: @w{ISO C}, POSIX.1,
POSIX.2, BSD, SVID, X/Open, and GNU extensions.  In the cases where
POSIX.1 conflicts with BSD, the POSIX definitions take precedence.

If you want to get the full effect of @code{_GNU_SOURCE} but make the
BSD definitions take precedence over the POSIX definitions, use this
sequence of definitions:

@smallexample
#define _GNU_SOURCE
#define _BSD_SOURCE
#define _SVID_SOURCE
@end smallexample

Note that if you do this, you must link your program with the BSD
compatibility library by passing the @samp{-lbsd-compat} option to the
compiler or linker.  @strong{Note:} If you forget to do this, you may
get very strange errors at run time.
@end defvr

@comment (none)
@comment GNU
@defvr Macro _REENTRANT
@defvrx Macro _THREAD_SAFE
If you define one of these macros, reentrant versions of several functions get
declared.  Some of the functions are specified in POSIX.1c but many others
are only available on a few other systems or are unique to GNU libc.
The problem is that the standardization of the thread safe C library
interface still is behind.

Unlike on some other systems no special version of the C library must be
used for linking.  There is only one version but while compiling this
it must have been specified to compile as thread safe.
@end defvr

We recommend you use @code{_GNU_SOURCE} in new programs.  If you don't
specify the @samp{-ansi} option to GCC and don't define any of these
macros explicitly, the effect is the same as defining
@code{_POSIX_C_SOURCE} to 2 and @code{_POSIX_SOURCE},
@code{_SVID_SOURCE}, and @code{_BSD_SOURCE} to 1.

When you define a feature test macro to request a larger class of features,
it is harmless to define in addition a feature test macro for a subset of
those features.  For example, if you define @code{_POSIX_C_SOURCE}, then
defining @code{_POSIX_SOURCE} as well has no effect.  Likewise, if you
define @code{_GNU_SOURCE}, then defining either @code{_POSIX_SOURCE} or
@code{_POSIX_C_SOURCE} or @code{_SVID_SOURCE} as well has no effect.

Note, however, that the features of @code{_BSD_SOURCE} are not a subset of
any of the other feature test macros supported.  This is because it defines
BSD features that take precedence over the POSIX features that are
requested by the other macros.  For this reason, defining
@code{_BSD_SOURCE} in addition to the other feature test macros does have
an effect: it causes the BSD features to take priority over the conflicting
POSIX features.