@node Language facilities
@chapter Language facilities



@menu
* Alternative tokens::                        Alternative spellings of common operators.
* Booleans::                                  Proper booleans in the C programming language.
@end menu



@node Alternative tokens
@section Alternative tokens

@hfindex iso646.h
@cpindex Alternative tokens
@cpindex Tokens, alternative
The @sc{ISO}@tie{}C90 standard was amended in 1995 to
include alternative spellings of common operators,
referred to as C alternative tokens.

@table @code
@item and
@fnindex and
@code{&&}

@item and_eq
@fnindex and_eq
@code{&=}

@item bitand
@fnindex bitand
@code{&}

@item bitor
@fnindex bitor
@code{|}

@item compl
@fnindex compl
@code{~}

@item not
@fnindex not
@code{!}

@item not_eq
@fnindex not_eq
@code{!=}

@item or
@fnindex or
@code{||}

@item or_eq
@fnindex or_eq
@code{|=}

@item xor
@fnindex xor
@code{^}

@item xor_eq
@fnindex xor_eq
@code{^=}
@end table

These alternative spellings are implemented as a
group of macro constants, and are made available
by including the header file @file{<iso646.h>}.
They were added because a concern that the standard
names are difficult to type on some keyboard-layouts.

Use of these alternative tokens are discouraged,
they lessen the readability of your code. If it is
difficult to type some characters without yout
keyboard-layout, it is better to change keyboard-layout.



@node Booleans
@section Booleans

@hfindex stdbool.h
@cpindex Booleans
@tpindex bool
@tpindex _Bool
@lvindex true
@lvindex false
@lvindex __bool_true_false_are_defined
The @sc{ISO}@tie{}C99 standard added the keyword
@code{_Bool}, as well as a set macro definitions
that are made available by including the header
file @file{<stdbool.h>}.

@table @code
@item bool
Expands to @code{_Bool}, an integer data
type. Any non-zero value (any true value)
is stored as 1, to avoid integer overflows,
that may occur when using @code{int}, and
not using @code{!!} when casting to @code{int}.

@item true
Has the value 1, and represents a true value.

@item false
Has the value 0, and represents a false value.

@item __bool_true_false_are_defined
Will be defined if the other three macros
are define. So, it will will be defined if
the header file is included.

@end table

The macros @code{bool}, @code{true}, and @code{false}
may be removed and become built-in the future; or at
least, the right to undefined them may be removed.