Include directive

Many programming languages and other computer files have a directive, often called include (as well as copy and import), that causes the contents of a second file to be inserted into the original file. These included files are called copybooks or header files. They are often used to define the physical layout of program data, pieces of procedural code and/or forward declarations while promoting encapsulation and the reuse of code.

Purpose

The include directive allows libraries of code to be developed which help to:

An example situation which benefits from the use of an include directive is when referring to functions in a different file. Suppose we have a function add in one file, which is then declared (with a function prototype) and then referred to in a second source file as follows: