Compiler Limits

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The latest version of this topic can be found at Compiler Limits.

The C++ standard recommends limits for various language constructs. The following is a list of cases where the Visual C++ compiler does not implement the recommended limits. The first number is the limit that is established in the ISO C++ 11 standard (INCITS/ISO/IEC 14882-2011[2012], Annex B) and the second number is the limit implemented by Visual C++:

  • Nesting levels of compound statements, iteration control structures, and selection control structures [C++ standard: 256] (Visual C++ compiler: depends on the combination of statements that are nested, but generally between 100 and 110).

  • Parameters in one macro definition [C++ standard: 256] (Visual C++ compiler: 127).

  • Arguments in one macro invocation [C++ standard: 256] (Visual C++ compiler 127).

  • Characters in a character string literal or wide string literal (after concatenation) [C++ standard: 65536] (Visual C++ compiler: 65535 single-byte characters, including the null terminator, and 32767 double-byte characters, including the null terminator).

  • Levels of nested class, structure, or union definitions in a single struct-declaration-list [C++ standard: 256] (Visual C++ compiler: 16).

  • Member initializers in a constructor definition [C++ standard: 6144] (Visual C++ compiler: at least 6144).

  • Scope qualifications of one identifier [C++ standard: 256] (Visual C++ compiler: 127).

  • Nested extern specifications [C++ standard: 1024] (Visual C++ compiler: 9 (not counting the implicit extern specification in global scope, or 10, if you count the implicit extern specification in global scope.).

  • Template arguments in a template declaration [C++ standard: 1024] (Visual C++ compiler: 2046).

See Also

Nonstandard Behavior