Submitter: Fred J. Tydeman
Submission Date: 2013-08-20
Related: DR 231 and DR 250

Summary

What is a directive name? What are the semantics of a # non-directive?

In particular, what should happen for a translation unit with these four lines:

# non-directive
# "Long string"
# 'Many characters are implementation defined'
# 1234


The syntax in 6.10 Preprocessing directives has in group-part:

# non-directive

The C standard section 6.10, paragraph 3 has:

A non-directive shall not begin with any of the directive names appearing in the syntax.

I find that confusing as directive name is only used in the C standard in 6.10 paragraphs 3 and 4 (without any definition). So, what is a directive name?

Assuming directive name is one of:

• if
• ifdef
• ifndef
• elif
• else
• endif
• include
• define
• undef
• line
• error
• pragma

then my four line program contains lines that are

# non-directive

so should be valid. However, almost every C compiler I have tried considers them errors that end translation. I did find at least one C compiler that ignored them (treated them as comments). I did find at least one C compiler that considered them errors even inside of:

#if 0
#endif


where they should have been ignored.

I believe that gcc treats

# 1234

# line 1234

I see no semantics for non-directive. So, what is supposed to happen with them? Is it implicitly undefined?

Since preprocessing directives (which includes non-directive) are deleted at the end of translation phase 4, these non-directives could act as comments.

DRs 231 and 250 appear to contradict each other on what happens with a non-directive and neither refers to the other.

DR 231 Says that text-line and non-directive are not implementation defined. They are placeholders in the phases of translation and are subject to normal processing in subsequent phases of translation. And that words were supposed to be added to the Rationale.

DR 250 Says that non-directive is a preprocessing directive. And, it added that as a footnote in 6.10.3#11

Neither DR added normative words.

In answering this, we should consider what happens with mis-spellings, such as:

• #endf
• #deifine

Should # non-directive be a comment (and ignored)? Implementation defined? An error that ends translation (like #error)? Undefined behaviour?

Suggested Technical Corrigendum

Since I do not know what should happen, I have none. But, if we decide on undefined behaviour, I would like that as explicit words.