C Language Create and include header files Introduction
Example
There are a number of guidelines to follow when creating and using header files in a C project:
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Idemopotence
If a header file is included multiple times in a translation unit (TU), it should not break builds.
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Self-containment
If you need the facilities declared in a header file, you should not have to include any other headers explicitly.
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Minimality
You should not be able to remove any information from a header without causing builds to fail.
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Include What You Use (IWYU)
Of more concern to C++ than C, but nevertheless important in C too. If the code in a TU (call it
code.c) directly uses the features declared by a header (call it"headerA.h"), thencode.cshould#include "headerA.h"directly, even if the TU includes another header (call it"headerB.h") that happens, at the moment, to include"headerA.h".
Occasionally, there might be good enough reasons to break one or more of these guidelines, but you should both be aware that you are breaking the rule and be aware of the consequences of doing so before you break it.
