---
title: "deprecated (C++) | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "03/28/2017"
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.suite: ""
ms.technology: ["cpp-language"]
ms.tgt_pltfrm: ""
ms.topic: "language-reference"
f1_keywords: ["deprecated_cpp"]
dev_langs: ["C++"]
helpviewer_keywords: ["__declspec keyword [C++], deprecated", "deprecated __declspec keyword"]
ms.assetid: beef1129-9434-4cb3-8392-f1eb29e04805
caps.latest.revision: 9
author: "mikeblome"
ms.author: "mblome"
manager: "ghogen"
ms.workload: ["cplusplus"]
---
# deprecated (C++)
This topic is about the Microsoft-specific deprecated declspec declaration. For information about the C++14 `[[deprecated]]` attribute, and guidance on when to use that attribute vs. the Microsoft-specific declspec or pragma, see [C++ Standard Attributes](attributes2.md).

 With the exceptions noted below, the **deprecated** declaration offers the same functionality as the [deprecated](../preprocessor/deprecated-c-cpp.md) pragma:  
  
-   The **deprecated** declaration lets you specify particular forms of function overloads as deprecated, whereas the pragma form applies to all overloaded forms of a function name.  
  
-   The **deprecated** declaration lets you specify a message that will display at compile time. The text of the message can be from a macro.  
  
-   Macros can only be marked as deprecated with the **deprecated** pragma.  
  
 If the compiler encounters the use of a deprecated identifier or the standard [`[[deprecated]]`](attributes2.md) attribute, a [C4996](../error-messages/compiler-warnings/compiler-warning-level-3-c4996.md) warning is thrown.  
  
## Example  
 The following sample shows how to mark functions as deprecated, and how to specify a message that will be displayed at compile time, when the deprecated function is used.  
  
```  
// deprecated.cpp  
// compile with: /W3  
#define MY_TEXT "function is deprecated"  
void func1(void) {}  
__declspec(deprecated) void func1(int) {}  
__declspec(deprecated("** this is a deprecated function **")) void func2(int) {}  
__declspec(deprecated(MY_TEXT)) void func3(int) {}  
  
int main() {  
   func1();  
   func1(1);   // C4996  
   func2(1);   // C4996  
   func3(1);   // C4996  
}  
```  
  
## Example  
 The following sample shows how to mark classes as deprecated, and how to specify a message that will be displayed at compile time, when the deprecated class is used.  
  
```  
// deprecate_class.cpp  
// compile with: /W3  
struct __declspec(deprecated) X {  
   void f(){}  
};  
  
struct __declspec(deprecated("** X2 is deprecated **")) X2 {  
   void f(){}  
};  
  
int main() {  
   X x;   // C4996  
   X2 x2;   // C4996  
}  
```  
  
## See Also  
 [__declspec](../cpp/declspec.md)   
 [Keywords](../cpp/keywords-cpp.md)