Linux, C++ and the extern "C" keyword

[Robert Ambrose]

As usual, it depends.  If you're including the gnu library headers, they
are C++ aware.  If you're using somebody else's headers, it depends on if
they have made them C++ aware, i.e. YMMV.

The gnu headers defines two macros __BEGIN_DECLS which gets defined as
'extern "C" {' and __END_DECLS which is defined as '}' when the source is
C++.  The macros are defined as empty if the source is C.  If you look at
something like /usr/include/string.h, you will see a __BEGIN_DECLS hear
the beginning and a __END_DECLS at the end.  

rna

On Sun, 14 May 2000, Lucas Vogel wrote:

> I am reading a book on C++ and I have a question on how some of it might
> apply in the case of Linux. I believe the author of the book('Practical C++'
> by Rob McGregor) bases all of his work and examples on the Windows platform,
> though it isn't a windows-specific book. 
> 
> I also have another book that serves as an introduction to Linux
> programming, with all of the examples being done in C. The book describes of
> the many C-specific function calls that are available for the Linux
> platform.
> 
> My question is, if I wanted to write an application on Linux using these
> C-specific function calls, would I have to do anything with "extern 'C'" for
> the function calls, or would I be able to just #include the appropriate
> header files and rock out from there?
> 
> Thanks
> Lucas Vogel
> 
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