Macros as values in C char array

Question

I need to initialize a char array with macros as it's values. I've tried to do it like this:

    char    text[][255] = {
     "",
    /*  1 */        MACRO_("Foobar","Some text to translate"),
    /*  2 */        MACRO_("Foobar","Some more text to translate"),
//...
};

But I get this error:

error: initializer element is not constant

I think the compiler can't resolve the macro. Is there a way to make this work?

MACRO_ calls a function which translates the text. It's not my solution but I have to work with it :( — user2091046
– user2091046, Commented Feb 20, 2013 at 12:22

unwind · Accepted Answer · 2013-02-20 12:14:10Z

2

It is more likely that MACRO() is expanding to something non-constant, such as a function call to look up a translation. That's at least what is usually done in situations like those.

With GNU gettext, which also uses macros to mark and look upstrings for translation, you use a separate marking-only macro for situations like these (typically called N_()), then you pass the string to the run-time macro _() before using it.

You can't initialize an array with data that requires a function call in order to be computed, it must be constant data.

answered Feb 20, 2013 at 12:14

unwind

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2 Comments

user2091046 Over a year ago

I already know that I can't, but I still need to have this array. Any suggestions on how to do this?

user4815162342 Over a year ago

@user2091046 the classic workaround is to put untranslated text in the array, and call the translation macro where the array is used.

Mike · Accepted Answer · 2013-02-20 12:35:33Z

> MACRO_ calls a function which translates the text. It's not my solution but I have to work with it

The fact is that you can not initialize your array at compile time with data coming from MACRO_ since it calls a function. However all is not lost. You can simply do this during run time

ex:

#define MACRO_ ...//whatever it does

int main()
{
   char    text[10][255] = {0}; // you'll have to set that first value

   strcpy(text[0],  MACRO_("Foobar","Some text to translate"));
   strcpy(text[1],  MACRO_("Foobar","Some more text to translate"));
   ...

Depending on your code, and what MACRO_ does, and what you're passing in, you might be able to do this in a loop which will save you some writing, but that will solve your problem.

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