C pragma directives

C pragma directives use #pragma to send compiler-specific instructions. Common pragmas: #pragma once (include guard), #pragma pack (struct packing), #pragma GCC optimize (optimization level), #pragma omp (OpenMP). Pragmas are non-standard; behavior depends on compiler.

Use pragmas for compiler-specific optimizations or configuration when portability isn't critical.

// compile: gcc -fopenmp -o pragma pragma.c
// run: ./pragma
// description: pragma directives for compiler control
 
#pragma once  // Include guard (non-standard but widely supported)
 
#include <stdio.h>
 
// Pack struct to 1 byte boundary
#pragma pack(push, 1)
struct Packed {
    char a;
    int b;
    char c;
};
#pragma pack(pop)
 
// Optimize this function
#pragma GCC optimize("O3")
int hot_loop(int n) {
    int sum = 0;
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        sum += i;
    }
    return sum;
}
 
// Disable optimization for this function
#pragma GCC optimize("O0")
int debug_function(void) {
    return 42;
}
 
// OpenMP parallel loop
void parallel_work(int n, int *arr) {
    #pragma omp parallel for
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        arr[i] = i * 2;
    }
}
 
int main() {
    printf("Packed struct size: %zu\n", sizeof(struct Packed));
    printf("Hot loop result: %d\n", hot_loop(100));
 
    return 0;
}

#pragma once:

• Include guard for headers
• Non-standard but widely supported
• Cleaner than #ifndef guards

#pragma pack:

• Control struct field alignment
• #pragma pack(1): 1-byte boundary
• #pragma pack(push, N) and #pragma pack(pop)

#pragma GCC optimize:

• Set optimization level for following code
• #pragma GCC optimize("O3")
• Only GCC/Clang, not portable

#pragma omp (OpenMP):

• Parallel loop/region directives
• #pragma omp parallel for
• Requires -fopenmp flag

#pragma warning (MSVC):

• Suppress compiler warnings
• #pragma warning(disable:4996)
• Windows-specific

#pragma message:

• Print message during compilation
• Useful for build-time notes

Portability:

• Pragmas are compiler-specific
• Unknown pragmas are ignored
• Document which compiler pragmas require
• May cause portability issues

Best practices:

• Use pragmas sparingly
• Document why pragma is needed
• Consider portable alternatives first
• Test on all target compilers