Taligent's Guide to Designing Programs - Use inlines instead of function macros

Use inlines instead of function macros

Don't use function macros; they are problematic. Instead, declare the functions inline to obviate the need for function macros (see "Inline functions" on page 90 for restrictions). Like const, inline functions follow the C++ scope rules and allow argument type-checking. Both member functions and nonmember functions can be declared inline. Consider this classic example:

  #define SQUARE(x) ((x)*(x))
  
  // and...
  
  SQUARE(y++);        // y incremented twice

When written as an inline, it is actually more efficient than the macro version. What's more, it's correct.

  inline int Square(int x)
  {
      return x*x;
  };
  
  Square(y++);        // y incremented once

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