Standard format 1

[JasonWB007]

Hi everyone,

Please forgive the simple question, but if I have a declaration, such as:

const int UPPER_LIMIT = 127;

is the *best* policy to have it in caps? I usually do it in:

#define UPPER_LIMIT 127

and am wondering if the same thing should apply to a const variable?

Thoughts?

Jason

 

[xwb]

It depends on what you are going to use UPPER_LIMIT for. For instance if you want to code the following without casting or having strange compilation warnings

unsigned char w = UPPER_LIMIT;
char x = UPPER_LIMIT;
unsigned int y = UPPER_LIMIT;
int z = UPPER_LIMIT;
int elems[UPPER_LIMIT];

if (x == UPPER_LIMIT)...

for (x = 0; x < UPPER_LIMIT; ++x)...

switch (x)
{
case UPPER_LIMIT:
   ...
}

then #define is better. If you are just using it for

int z = UPPER_LIMIT;
int* elems = new int[UPPER_LIMIT];

if (z == UPPER_LIMIT)...

then const int is better.

 

[JasonWB007]

Sorry, about the original post - I think I was less than clear. I ONLY an referring to a constant declaration. The reason I ask is that our coding standards for DO-178B recommend using "const" over "#define" and I had always used all caps for #define, but not const. This is probably a very "strict" formatting question.

 

[cpjust]

I always use all caps for const variables as well as #define's.
I also use p for pointers, m_ for member variables and usually C for class names or I for interfaces...