INFO: Why System Include Files Prototype Functions as _cdecl

• Microsoft C for MS-DOS, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0ax
• Microsoft C/C++ for MS-DOS, version 7.0
• Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows, 16-bit edition, versions 1.0, 1.5, 1.51, 1.52
• Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions, versions 1.0, 2.0, 2.1, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0

SUMMARY

The system include files declare functions that use the C calling and naming conventions with the attribute "cdecl".

The compiler uses the C calling and naming conventions by default unless the compiler command line specifies the /Gc or /Gz option switches. The /Gc switch instructs the compiler to use the Pascal (FORTRAN) calling convention by default. The 32-bit compilers do not support the /Gc option switch; they use the /Gz option switch that instructs the compiler to use the __stdcall calling and naming convention by default.

The "cdecl" attribute instructs the compiler to generate run-time library calls using the C calling and naming conventions even when the command line specifies the /Gc or /Gz option.

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbLangC kbVC100 kbVC150 kbVC151 kbVC152 kbVC200 kbVC210 kbVC400 kbVC500 kbVC600
Version : MS-DOS:6.0,6.00a,6.00ax,7.0; OS/2:6.0,6.00a; WINDOWS:1.0,1.5,1.51,1.52 WINDOWS NT:1.0,2.0,4.0,5.0
Platform : MS-DOS NT OS/2 WINDOWS
Issue type : kbinfo