What are the differences between macros and functions?

What are the differences between macros and functions in programming?

Macros are code snippets that are expanded at compile time, while functions are executed at runtime.

Can you give me an example of a macro?

Sure! A simple macro in C could be defined as #define SQUARE(x) ((x) * (x)), which calculates the square of a number.

And how does that differ from a function?

A function would look like this: int square(int x) { return x * x; }. It has type safety and can be debugged more easily.

Are there any performance differences between using macros and functions?

Yes, macros can be faster since they avoid the function call overhead, but they lack type safety and can lead to code bloat.