Type Conditional compilation
Syntax {$IF expression}
Compiles the source code that
follows it if expression is True. expression must conform to
Object Pascal syntax and return a Boolean value; it may contain declared
constants, constant expressions, and the functions Defined and Declared.
For example,
{$DEFINE CLX}
const
LibVersion = 2.1;
{$IF Defined(CLX) and (LibVersion >
2.0) }
... // this code executes
{$ELSE}
... // this code doesn't
execute
{$IFEND}
{$IF Defined(CLX) }
... // this code executes
{$ELSEIF LibVersion > 2.0}
... // this code doesn't
execute
{$ELSEIF LibVersion = 2.0}
... // this code doesn't
execute
{$ELSE}
... // this code doesn't
execute
{$IFEND}
The special functions Defined and
Declared are available only within $IF and $ELSEIF blocks.
Defined returns True if the argument passed to it is a defined conditional
symbol. Declared returns True if the argument passed to it is a valid declared
Pascal identifier visible within the current scope.
The $IF and $ELSEIF
directives are terminated with $IFEND, unlike other conditional
directives that use the $ENDIF terminator. This allows you to hide $IF
blocks from earlier versions of the compiler (which do not support $IF
or $ELSEIF) by nesting them within old-style $IFDEF blocks. For
example, the following construction would not cause a compilation error:
{$UNDEF NewEdition}
{$IFDEF NewEdition}
{$IF LibVersion > 2.0}
...
{$IFEND}
{$ENDIF}
$IF supports evaluation of typed constants, but the compiler doesn't
allow typed constants within constant expressions. As a result,
const Test:
Integer = 5;
{$IF SizeOf(Test) > 2}
...
is valid, while
const Test:
Integer = 5;
{$IF Test > 2 }
// error
...
generates a compilation error.
If your code needs to be portable
between various versions of Delphi (as well as Kylix), you will need to test
whether or not this directive is supported by the compiler. You can surround
your code with the following directives:
$IFDEF conditionalexpressions
. //
code including IF directive
. //
only executes if supported
$ENDIF