In previous work in C++, I have used the #define preprocessor command to implement simple formulas throughout my code. For a (trivial) example:

#define square(x) = x*x

I want to do something similar (actually all I want is #define NoOfY = NoOfX - 1) to clarify for reading purposes the difference between two different stored variables. The second variable is always relative the the first variable (ie it is always X-1), so I don't want to maintain and update two seperate variables (I think extra variables leaves more scope for bugs and errors), but at the same time I don't want to have every reference to Y being X-1 because its reads easier as Y.

I hope that all makes sense.

Anyway, I tried looking for something similar, and I've seen you can set debug variables in the compiler settings for a project and you can also define things using #const, but both these only seem to be visible to #if statements.

Is there some equivilent I can use to make the code more readable without having to maintain two variables?