We all more or less know the list of operators that C++ provides for "normal code" but not everyone is aware that the preprocessor also has special operators we can use. Small difference: an operator like '+' will usually operate on numbers, but the preprocessor operates only on a single concept: source code tokens. What kind of operators could a preprocessor have, then? Two, actually. Let's start with the simpler one:
Stringify The '#' operator is the simplest operator of the preprocessor: it converts the next token to string. Something like this, for example:
#define f(x) to_str(x) == #x
f(123)
Would print
to_str(123) == "123"
A restriction applies to the stringify operator: it can only be applied to a macro param, not just any token. So this, for example, is an illegal macro:
#define f(x) #123 == #x
There's another operator, which is a bit more "esoteric". We'll talk about token pasting next time.