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#include

Preprocessor statement to include contents of another source file

Syntax

#include [once] "file"

Description

#include inserts source code from another file at the point where the #include directive appears. This has the effect of compiling the source code from the include file as though it were part of the source file that includes it. Once the compiler has reached the end of the include file, the original source file continues to be compiled.

This is useful to remove code from a file and separate it into more files. It is useful to have a single file with declarations in a program formed by several modules. You may include files within an include file, although avoid including the original file into itself, this will not produce valid results. Typically, include files will have an extension of .bi and are mainly used for declaring subs/functions/variables of a library, but any valid source code may be present in an include file.

The Once specifier tells the compiler to include the file only once even if it is included several times by the source code.

$Include is an alternative form of include, existing only for compatibility with QuickBASIC. It is recommended to use #include instead.

The compiler will automatically convert path separator characters ( '/' and '\' ) as needed to properly load the file. The filename name may be an absolute or relative path.

For relative paths, or where no path is given at all, the include file is search for in the following order:

• Relative from the directory of the source file Relative from the current working directory
  Relative from addition directories specified with the -i command line option
  The include folder of the FreeBASIC installation (FreeBASIC\inc, where FreeBASIC is the folder where the compiler executable is located)

Remarks

Differences from QB

• New to FreeBASIC

See also

• #define
• #inclib
• Compiler Option: -i
• Compiler Option: -include

Examples

' header.bi file

Type FooType

    Bar As Byte

    Barbeque As Byte

End Type

' main.bas file

#include "header.bi"

Dim Foo As FooType

Foo.Bar = 1

Foo.Barbeque = 2

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Category: Preprocessor
Kind: keyword

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Reproduced from the FreeBASIC Wiki Manual under the GNU Free Documentation License 1.3 — with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts and no Back-Cover Texts. Copyright © the FreeBASIC project and wiki contributors. See License.