A tool for combining many C and/or C++ files into one file.

SeaPool.new do |a|

    # these files will be combined into output
    a.add_input 'src/input1.cpp'
    a.add_input 'src/input2.cpp'
    a.add_input 'src/sub/input3.cpp'
    a.add_input 'src/input4.cpp', 'src/input5.cpp', 'src/input6.cpp'

    # search for files here (e.g. #include "some_file.cpp")
    a.add_include 'include'
    a.add_include 'src'
    a.add_include 'src/sub'
    a.add_include 'src/another1', 'src/another2'

    # search for system files here (e.g. #include <some_file.h>)
    a.add_system_include '/opt/somearch/include'
    a.add_system_include '/opt/somearch2/include', '/opt/somearch3/include'

    # never expand these files
    a.add_ignore 'include/to_be_ignored.h'
    a.add_ignore 'include/another_to_be_ignored1.h', 'include/another_to_be_ignored2.h'

    # the combined output file (can only be one file)
    a.set_output 'combined.cpp'

).run

Or, a shorter version of the same example in the terminal:

bundle exec sea_pool --include=include --system=/opt/somearch/include --ignore=include/to_be_ignored.h --output=combined.cpp src/input1.cpp src/input2.cpp

• expands #include
  • #include"" if a file is found in the include search path
  • #include<> if a file is found in the system_include search path
• will not expand an #include if
  • no match is found in the search path
  • a match is found in the exclude list
  • non-exluded match has already been expanded
• comments out #include which have already been expanded (also a limitation)
• inserts #file into output so that compile time messages can be referenced back to the original files
• non-recursive and line based
• depends only on Ruby stdlib (should work with your system Ruby)
• available as standalone executable via bin/sea_pool_exporter

• does not evaluate include guards or #pragma once
• does not support including same file multiple times (workaround for the above)
• does not interpret preprocessor variables
• input files must be written in a way that makes them suitable for amalgamation
  • ensure no file static name collisions
  • ensure no 'using namespace' in c++
• it's a preprocessor, it won't check if your code can compile
• lines that are not UTF-8 are passed through to output without any processing
• doesn't consider if a file is a link

bundle exec sea_pool_exporter > your_executable_file

or

bundle exec sea_pool_exporter --output=your_executable_file

This file can be kept with your project.

• might evaluate guards
• might expand other macros
• might fix file static name problems

• Don't combine C and C++ into the same file unless you want to compile C with a C++ compiler
• ensure file static preprocessor macros are #undef at end of a file

• sometimes fewer source files can make a project easier to distribute
• sometimes fewer source files will speed up compile time (Arduino + GNU tools ported to Windows!)