Many computer codes (particularly Monte Carlo transport codes such as LAHET, HTAPE, MCNP) require a input files in a pre-determined format, with limited comments. This preprocessor allows verbose comments, which are stripped from the input file while making the output file (the output file from the preprocessor is the input file for the other computer code). The format for the comments are the same as for a standard C++ preprocessor. Comments start with /* and all text is skipped until a */ is encountered. Additionally, // can be used to delimit input that is to be skipped until the end of the line. The code
/* The dcomment preprocessor allows verbose comments
the comments can span over several lines */
this line is not a comment
/* or they can be limited to single lines */
this line begins as text // and ends as a comment
this line ends with a multi-line comment /* that can be used to describe your
input file */
the end
expands out to
this line is not a comment this line begins as text this line ends with a multi-line comment the end