c preprocessor - Scope of macros in C?

Question

How these macros are evaluated?

# define i 20
void fun();

int main(){
  printf("%d",i);
  fun();
  printf("%d",i);
  return 0;
}

void fun(){
  #undef i
  #define i 30
}

gives output as 2020 but whereas,

# define i 20
void fun(){
  #undef i
  #define i 30
}

int main(){
  printf("%d",i);
  fun();
  printf("%d",i);
  return 0;
}

gives output as 3030. Please Explain. Thanks.

Answer 1

C Preprocessor works top to bottom irrespective of function calls. It is effective from that point (line) in whatever the file that macro is defined, until corresponding undef or till end of the translation unit.

So, your code would become,

# define i 20
               // from now on, all token i should become 20
void fun();
int main()
{
  printf("%d",i);   // printf("%d",20);
  fun();
  printf("%d",i);   // printf("%d",20);
  return 0;
}
void fun()
{
#undef i
              // from now on, forget token i
#define i 30
              // from now on, all token i should become 30
}

Your second code would become,

# define i 20
               // from now on, all token i should become 20
void fun()
{
#undef i
               // from now on, forget i
#define i 30
               // from now on, all token i should become 30
}
int main()
{
  printf("%d",i);    //  printf("%d",30);
  fun();
  printf("%d",i);    // printf("%d",30);
  return 0;
}