Is there a preprocessor or something to control what headers visual studio includes?

Question

For example Visual studio includes <utility> even if you didn't explicitly type #include <utility>

Is there a preprocessor directive or some option to include only what is explicitly told by programer?.

Just an hypothetical example:

#include <vector>

int main()
{
    std::vector<int> x;
    std::move(x); // Did I ask for <utility> ? No I didn't
    return 0;
}

Answer 1

Visual studio doesn't include <utility> unless it's required by other included std headers.

In VS10, including only <vector> pulls in another 74 headers directly and indirectly. The trail to <utility> is:

<vector> includes <memory> which includes <xmemory> which includes <xutility> which includes <utility> .

Answer 2

Clearly, for your compiler, when you include vector , that header also includes something that includes utility .

Visual Studio does not automatically include anything and so this is the only explanation for what you describe.

Answer 3

When you include <map> , it internally uses std::pair and so includes <utility> . I'm guessing <vector> too uses something in <utility> if that was the only #include you had.