M_PI works with math.h but not with cmath in Visual Studio

Question

I am using Visual Studio 2010. I have read that in C++ it is better to use <cmath> rather than <math.h>.

But in the program I am trying to write (Win32 console application, empty project) if I write:

#define _USE_MATH_DEFINES
#include <math.h>

it compiles, while if I write

#define _USE_MATH_DEFINES
#include <cmath>

it fails with

error C2065: 'M_PI' : undeclared identifier

Is it normal? Does it matter if I use cmath or math.h? If yes, how can I make it work with cmath?

UPDATE: if I define _USE_MATH_DEFINES in the GUI, it works. Any clue why this is happening?

Answer 1

Interestingly I checked this on an app of mine and I got the same error.

I spent a while checking through headers to see if there was anything undef'ing the _USE_MATH_DEFINES and found nothing.

So I moved the

#define _USE_MATH_DEFINES
#include <cmath>

to be the first thing in my file (I don't use PCHs so if you are you will have to have it after the #include "stdafx.h") and suddenly it compile perfectly.

Try moving it higher up the page. Totally unsure as to why this would cause issues though.

Edit: Figured it out. The #include <math.h> occurs within cmath's header guards. This means that something higher up the list of #includes is including cmath without the #define specified. math.h is specifically designed so that you can include it again with that define now changed to add M_PI etc. This is NOT the case with cmath. So you need to make sure you #define _USE_MATH_DEFINES before you include anything else. Hope that clears it up for you :)

Failing that just include math.h you are using non-standard C/C++ as already pointed out :)

Edit 2: Or as David points out in the comments just make yourself a constant that defines the value and you have something more portable anyway :)

Answer 2

Consider adding the switch /D_USE_MATH_DEFINES to your compilation command line, or to define the macro in the project settings. This will drag the symbol to all reachable dark corners of include and source files leaving your source clean for multiple platforms. If you set it globally for the whole project, you will not forget it later in a new file(s).

Answer 3

This works for me:

#define _USE_MATH_DEFINES
#include <cmath>
#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int main()
{
    cout << M_PI << endl;

    return 0;
}

Compiles and prints pi like is should: cl /O2 main.cpp /link /out:test.exe.

There must be a mismatch in the code you have posted and the one you're trying to compile.

Be sure there are no precompiled headers being pulled in before your #define.

Answer 4

This is still an issue in VS Community 2015 and 2017 when building either console or windows apps. If the project is created with precompiled headers, the precompiled headers are apparently loaded before any of the #includes, so even if the #define _USE_MATH_DEFINES is the first line, it won't compile. #including math.h instead of cmath does not make a difference.

The only solutions I can find are either to start from an empty project (for simple console or embedded system apps) or to add /Y- to the command line arguments, which turns off the loading of precompiled headers.

For information on disabling precompiled headers, see for example https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/1hy7a92h.aspx

It would be nice if MS would change/fix this. I teach introductory programming courses at a large university, and explaining this to newbies never sinks in until they've made the mistake and struggled with it for an afternoon or so.

Answer 5

With CMake it would just be

add_compile_definitions(_USE_MATH_DEFINES)

in CMakeLists.txt.

Answer 6

According to Microsoft documentation about Math Constants:

The file ATLComTime.h includes math.h when your project is built in Release mode. If you use one or more of the math constants in a project that also includes ATLComTime.h, you must define _USE_MATH_DEFINES before you include ATLComTime.h.

File ATLComTime.h may be included indirectly in your project. In my case one possible order of including was the following:

project's "stdafx.h" → <afxdtctl.h> → <afxdisp.h> → <ATLComTime.h> → <math.h>

Answer 7

As suggested by user7860670, right-click on the project, select properties, navigate to C/C++ -> Preprocessor and add _USE_MATH_DEFINES to the Preprocessor Definitions.

That's what worked for me.