What do you call a single header whose purpose is to include other header files?

Question

I've seen this done before in various C++ libraries - namely Qt (QtCore, QtGui, etc.) and Irrlicht (irrlicht.h):

// file - mylibrary.h

#include "someclass1.h"
#include "someclass2.h"
#include "someclass3.h"
// and so on...

Obviously this exists for convenience - a programmer wishing to use the library only has to include one header instead of lots of different ones. My question is, is there a special name for this type of header file? Even if there's not an "official" name, what you you refer to it as? A "convenience header" or "module header" or something?

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Names given so far ( with sources ):

• Convenience header ( Boost )
• Master header ( Apple Official Documentation , An MSDN blog )
• Meta-header ( The Game Programming Wiki )

User contributions ( no sources ):

• Header header ( Larry Watanabe )
• Umbrella header ( Chuck )

Answer 1

That's a nice question :)

I've found some sources that call it master header file , eg:

• Apple Official Documentation
• An MSDN blog

When it is used to host headers for the header precompiler, it could be called precompiler global header :

• http://www.rfoinc.com/docs/qnx/watcom/compiler-tools/cpheader.html

However I don't think that there's a single widespread way to call it.

Answer 2

我不知道有没有正式的名字，但我唯一听说过的就是“伞”。

Answer 3

convenience header

I have seen them referred to as convenience header files. Here is one example from boost that I pull up with a quick google search.

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meta-header

Never actually heard/seen someone call it a meta-header but the idea fits and is much easier to say than umbrella or convenience . I even found a reference to that name with a google search.

Answer 4

how about

header header?

:)

Answer 5

我喜欢“元标题”（这是我第二次发明的:-)