9: Inline Functions

One of the important features C++ inherits from C is efficiency. If the efficiency of C++ were dramatically
less than C, there would be a significant contingent of programmers who couldn’t justify its use.

In C, one of the ways to preserve efficiency is through the use of macros, which allow you to make what looks like a function call without the normal function call overhead. The macro is implemented with the preprocessor instead of the compiler proper, and the preprocessor replaces all macro calls directly with the macro code, so there’s no cost involved from pushing arguments, making an assembly-language CALL, returning arguments, and performing an assembly-language RETURN. All the work is performed by the preprocessor, so you have the convenience and readability of a function call but it doesn’t cost you anything.

There are two problems with the use of preprocessor macros in C++. The first is also true with C: a macro looks like a function call, but doesn’t always act like one. This can bury difficult-to-find bugs. The second problem is specific to C++: the preprocessor has no permission to access class member data. This means preprocessor macros cannot be used as class member functions.

To retain the efficiency of the preprocessor macro, but to add the safety and class scoping of true functions, C++ has the inline function. In this chapter, we’ll look at the problems of preprocessor macros in C++, how these problems are solved with inline functions, and guidelines and insights on the way inlines work.