I am trying to learn preprocessor tricks that I found not so easy (Can we have recursive macros?, Is there a way to use C++ preprocessor stringification on variadic macro arguments?, C++ preprocessor __VA_ARGS__ number of arguments, Variadic macro trick, ...).
I know the -E option to see the result of the preprocessor whole pass but I would like to know, if options or means exist to see the result step by step. Indeed, sometimes it is difficult to follow what happens when a macro calls a macro that calls a macro ... with the mechanism of disabling context, painting blue ... In brief, I wonder if a sort of preprocessor debugger with breakpoints and other tools exists.
(Do not answer that this use of preprocessor directives is dangerous, ugly, horrible, not good practices in C, produces unreadable code ... I am aware of that and it is not the question).
Yes, this tool exists as a feature of Eclipse IDE. I think the default way to access the feature is to hover over a macro you want to see expanded (this will show the full expansion) and then press F2 on your keyboard (a popup appears that allows you to step through each expansion).
When I used this tool to learn more about macros it was very helpful. With just a little practice, you won't need it anymore.
In case anyone is confused about how to use this feature, I found a tutorial on the Eclipse documentation here.