Using C and C++ code with Babel

Babel can evaluate C and C++ code. As opposed to interpreted languages, which can be evaluated directly, C or C++ code is first compiled to an executable which is then run. If a main method is not present in a code block then the entire block is wrapped in a trivial main function call.

So, for example, the following simple code block can be evaluated and the results of evaluation inserted into the buffer.

#+begin_src c++ :includes <stdio.h>
  int a=1;
  int b=1;
  printf("%d\n", a+b);
#+end_src

#+results:
: 2

Babel provides the following C and C++ specific header arguments:

:cmdline

command line arguments to pass to the executable compiled from the code block

:flags

flags to pass to the C compiler

:main

can be set to "no" to inhibit wrapping of the code block in a main function call

:includes

accepts either a single string name, or a list of names of files to #include in the execution of the code block

:defines

just like :includes but for #defines lines at the top of the code