Why Should You Use Header Files Instead of Directly Including .cpp Files in C ?

Why You Should Avoid Including cpp Files and Use Headers Instead

When developing C programs, it's important to adhere to best practices to ensure code readability, maintainability, and compilation efficiency. One such practice involves the distinction between header (.h) and source (.cpp) files.

The Problem with Including cpp Files

Directly including cpp files within your program, instead of compiling and linking them, can lead to code duplication and excessive compilation times. This is because the preprocessor simply copies the entire contents of the included cpp file into the current file, essentially creating a single monolithic codebase.

Advantages of Using Header Files

Header files serve as declaration containers, providing function prototypes and class definitions without the associated implementations. By separating declarations from implementations, header files offer several advantages:

• Compilation efficiency: When changes are made to a cpp file, only the affected cpp file needs to be recompiled. Header files remain unaffected, significantly reducing compilation times for large projects.
• Separation of concerns: Header files promote code organization by clearly defining the public interface of a module, without exposing its internal details.
• Code reuse: Header files can be included in multiple source files, allowing for code reuse and modularity.

Implications for Your Code

In your case, by directly including cpp files, you've eliminated the benefits of header files and essentially created a single source file. This can hinder code maintainability and waste compilation time.

Conclusion

While it's not illegal, including cpp files is a poor practice that should be avoided. By embracing the separation of declarations and implementations through header files, you can enhance code efficiency, organization, and reusability.

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