Question

I’m wondering about instances when it makes sent to use #define and #if statements. I’ve known about it for a while, but never incorporated it into my way of coding. How exactly does this affect the compilation?

Is #define the only thing that determines if the code is included when compiled? If I have #define DEBUGme as a custom symbol, the only way to exclude it from compile is to remove this #define statement?

Answer 1

In C# #define macros, like some of Bernard’s examples, are not allowed. The only common use of #define/#ifs in C# is for adding optional debug only code. For example:

        static void Main(string[] args)         { #if DEBUG             //this only compiles if in DEBUG             Console.WriteLine('DEBUG') #endif  #if !DEBUG             //this only compiles if not in DEBUG             Console.WriteLine('RELEASE') #endif             //This always compiles             Console.ReadLine()         }