Should I include stddef.h or cstddef for size_t

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stddef.h is the C header. The name size_t is in global namespace in it. <cstddef>, on the other hand, is a C++ header which wraps the C names into std namespace, which is naturally the C++ approach, so if you include <cstddef> and the compiler is compliant you’ll have to use std::size_t . Clearly, in C++, C++ approach is more appropriate.

Technically, the C header too may contain the names in the std namespace. But the C-headers (those that end with .h) introduce the names also to the global namespace (thus polluting it).

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