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Hello. I am trying to find new and exciting ways to optimize (read: shrink down) my current code and want to include an eeprom autorefresh option to cut down on variables. Basically, when I have the AutoRefreshCompile option set, I want it to create the variable "randomvariable". My code is pretty simple:
#define AutoRefreshCompile 1 #if(AutoRefreshCompile==1) { // line x extern signed short randomvariable; } // line y #endif
I am getting errors that read as follows:
VARS.H(x) error C141: syntax error near '{' VARS.H(y) error C141: syntax error near '}'
I'm guessing it is not possible to do this (if I remember correctly, variables have to be declared at the beginning and can't be in the middle of functions/code segments but maybe it's some really simple fix.
I realize this might not work but I figure it's worth a shot. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Andrew, I think I understand a bit better where you're coming from. From my perspective, it was asking a pretty pointed question about what I was trying to achieve but I can see how it would point to a missing fundamental or confusion as to what I do or don't understand.
I HAVE taken classes and I HAVE read books but I will admit, it's been a while and I've been coding primarily Atmel and Visual Studio for the past few years (I'm primarily a hardware engineer and doing a lot more coding than I originally thought I would). I recently have had to take up C for this project and need to do some brushing up, clearly. And unfortunately, there are no "mentors" around. Most of our senior engineers were laid off when the economy went downhill and I've had to take on some software/firmware since we no longer have people that do that. Honest truth, we have more projects than time so it's often easier to ask the experts and be pointed in the right direction. I don't mind being corrected though I definitely don't like the general approach in these forums (the formula looks something like this 1) point out person doesn't have any idea what they were talking about 2) make the person look like an idiot for not knowing this 3) tell them to read a book or stop coding altogether 4) Insert at least one unnecessary statement added to either make yourself look better and/or to make the other person sound like an idiot. See Mike's post below, he seems to have it down).
Thanks for taking the time to clear up the confusion with this. I appreciate the honesty.
... from all that stamping in the floor.
Honest truth, we have more projects than time so it's often easier to ask the experts and be pointed in the right direction you were: "Read about #if... in a C book"
If you really want to be honest, then, if the specific answer to the particular issue in the first post you posted was the best response, then WHY did you come back with more #if ... issues?
If you had read the chapter on #if ..,. etc (which in most books is 3-5 pages) you would have had all these issues solved in, say, 10 minutes, instead of endless discussions in this forum.
if you have specific questions that are not, as this thread, VERY basic C then please come back.
re making the poster feel stupid. Nobody but yourself can make you feel stupid. If you are one of those that promote political correctness, get out of microcontrollers, you will find very few friends among the pros.
Erik