Merge pull request #4927 from MicrosoftDocs/main638427548312044919sync_temp

For protected branch, push strategy should use PR and merge to target branch method to work around git push error

Author: learn-build-service-prod[bot]

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   items: 
     - name: Read and understand C++ code
       href: ../ide/read-and-understand-code-cpp.md
+    - name: Visualize macro expansions
+      href: ../ide/visualize-macro-expansion.md
     - name: Edit and refactor C++ code
       href: ../ide/writing-and-refactoring-code-cpp.md
     - name: Navigate C++ code

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+---
+title: "Visualize C/C++ macro expansion"
+description: "Learn how to use Visual Studio to visualize C/C++ macro expansion."
+ms.date: 02/02/2024
+ms.topic: "how-to"
+f1_keywords: ["macro expansion", "macro visualization"]
+helpviewer_keywords: ["macro expansion", "macro visualization"]
+---
+# Visualize C/C++ macro expansion
+
+Long macros can be difficult to read. Visual Studio can now expand C and C++ macros: you can get a copy on the clipboard of what the expanded macro looks like, replace the macro inline with its expansion, and step-by-step expand a macro so you can see what it looks like at each stage of expansion. This article allows you to experiment with these features.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- Visual Studio version 17.5 or later
+
+### Create the sample
+
+1. Start Visual Studio 2022, version 17.5 or later, and create a C++ Console app.
+1. Replace the default code with:
+
+    ```cpp
+    #include <iostream>
+    
+    #define MASS 10.0
+    #define ACCELERATION 20.0
+    #define SPEED 5.0
+    #define TIME 2.0
+    #define DISTANCE() (SPEED * TIME)
+    #define FORCE()(MASS * ACCELERATION)
+    #define WORK()(FORCE() * DISTANCE())
+    #define POWER()(WORK()/TIME)
+    
+    int main()
+    {
+    	std::cout << "Distance: " << DISTANCE() << std::endl;
+    	std::cout << "Force: " << FORCE() << std::endl;
+    	std::cout << "Work: " << WORK() << std::endl;
+    	std::cout << "Power: " << POWER() << std::endl;
+    }
+    ```
+    
+## Copy an expanded macro
+
+You can inspect a macro's expanded value, even when several preprocessor steps are involved, by using the following steps:
+
+1. Place the cursor on the `POWER` a macro in the sample.
+1. As you hover over the macro, options appear to **Copy**, **Expand Inline**, **Visualize Expansion**, and **Search Online**:
+
+    :::image type="complex" source="media/visual-studio-2022-hover-macro.png" alt-text="Screenshot of the macro window, showing the POWER macro expansion.":::
+    The macro window is open on POWER to show that it expands to (((10.0 * 20.0) * (5.0 * 2.0)) / 2.0). Options to copy, expand inline, visual expansion, and search online appear at the bottom of the window.
+    :::image-end:::
+
+1. Choose **Copy**.
+1. Create a comment following the `POWER` line and choose paste (`Ctrl+V`). The expansion of the macro, as a comment near your macro, looks like: ```// (((10.0 * 20.0)* (5.0 * 2.0)) / 2.0)```.
+
+## Expand a macro inline
+
+Use the following steps to expand a macro inline, which replaces the macro with its expansion:
+
+1. Place the cursor on the `POWER` macro in the previous example.
+1. As you hover over the macro, options appear to **Copy**, **Expand Inline**, **Visualize Expansion**, and **Search Online**
+1. Choose **Expand Inline**. The `POWER()` macro is replaced with its expanded value: ```std::cout << "Power: " << (((10.0 * 20.0) * (5.0 * 2.0)) / 2.0) << std::endl;```
+
+## Visualize macro expansion
+
+You can expand a macro one step at a time. This is useful when there are nested macros and you want to see the expansion step-by-step. To visualize the macro expansion for the `WORK` macro, use the following steps:
+
+1. Place the cursor on the `WORK` macro in the previous example.
+1. As you hover over the macro, options appear to **Copy**, **Expand Inline**, **Visualize Expansion**, and **Search Online**.
+1. Choose **Visualize Expansion**.
+1. The macro expansion window appears. The first expansion of the `WORK` macro is visible: `(FORCE() * DISTANCE())`:
+
+    :::image type="complex" source="media/visual-studio-2022-work-macro-expansion.png" alt-text="Screenshot of the macro expansion window, which allows you to step through the WORK macro expansion one step at a time.":::
+    The macro visualization window is open on FORCE to show that it initially expands to (FORCE()*DISTANCE()). There are single angle brackets in the window for moving forwards and backwards a single expansion at a time. The double angle brackets fully expand or fully undo the macro expansion.
+    :::image-end:::
+
+1. Click the right angle bracket to expand the `FORCE` macro. The window now shows the `FORCE` macro expansion: `(MASS * ACCELERATION) * DISTANCE()`.
+1. Click the right angle bracket to expand another step. The window now shows the `FORCE` macro expansion: `((10.0 * ACCELERATION) * DISTANCE())`.
+
+Continue to expand the macro to see the full expansion of the `WORK` macro, which is: ```((10.0 * 20.0) * (5.0 * 2.0))```.
+You can use the double angle brackets to fully expand the macro, or to reverse the expansion to the first level of expansion.
+
+## See also
+
+[View UE macros in Visual Studio](/visualstudio/gamedev/unreal/get-started/vs-tools-unreal-quickstart#view-ue-macros-in-visual-studio)