diff --git a/examples/simpleWindow/main.c b/examples/simpleWindow/main.c
index 0eac4f4..e29bb6e 100644
--- a/examples/simpleWindow/main.c
+++ b/examples/simpleWindow/main.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include<stdlib.h>
 #include<string.h>
 
+#include"platform.h"
 #include"win32_app.c"
 #include"debug_log.c"
 #include"memory.c"
diff --git a/src/milepost.m b/src/milepost.m
index bce8ec4..dd61be8 100644
--- a/src/milepost.m
+++ b/src/milepost.m
@@ -7,12 +7,6 @@
 *
 *****************************************************************/
 
-#ifdef _WIN32
-
-#include"win32_app.c"
-
-#else
-
 #include"osx_app.m"
 #include"metal_surface.m"
 #include"metal_painter.m"
@@ -23,5 +17,3 @@
 #pragma clang diagnostic pop
 
 #include"osx_surface_client.m"
-
-#endif
diff --git a/src/platform/platform.h b/src/platform/platform.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..23c90c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/platform/platform.h
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+//*****************************************************************
+//
+//	$file: platform.h $
+//	$author: Martin Fouilleul $
+//	$date: 22/12/2022 $
+//	$revision: $
+//	$note: (C) 2022 by Martin Fouilleul - all rights reserved $
+//
+//*****************************************************************
+#ifndef __PLATFORM_H_
+#define __PLATFORM_H_
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------
+// Compiler identification
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------
+#if defined(__clang__)
+	#define COMPILER_CLANG 1
+	#if defined(__apple_build_version__)
+		#define COMPILER_CLANG_APPLE 1
+	#elif defined(_MSC_VER)
+		#define COMPILER_CLANG_CL 1
+	#endif
+
+#elif defined(_MSC_VER)
+	#define COMPILER_CL 1
+#elif defined(__GNUC__)
+	#define COMPILER_GCC 1
+#else
+	#error "Can't identify compiler"
+#endif
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------
+// OS identification
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------
+#if defined(_WIN64)
+	#define OS_WIN64 1
+#elif defined(_WIN32)
+	#error "Unsupported OS (32bit only version of Windows)"
+#elif defined(__APPLE__) && defined(__MACH__)
+	#define OS_MACOS 1
+#elif defined(__gnu_linux__)
+	#define OS_LINUX 1
+#else
+	#error "Can't identify OS"
+#endif
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------
+// Architecture identification
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------
+#if defined(COMPILER_CL)
+	#if defined(_M_AMD64)
+		#define ARCH_X64 1
+	#elif defined(_M_I86)
+		#define ARCH_X86 1
+	#elif defined(_M_ARM64)
+		#define ARCH_ARM64 1
+	#elif defined(_M_ARM)
+		#define ARCH_ARM32 1
+	#else
+		#error "Can't identify architecture"
+	#endif
+#else
+	#if defined(__x86_64__)
+		#define ARCH_X64 1
+	#elif defined(__i386__)
+		#define ARCH_X86 1
+	#elif defined(__arm__)
+		#define ARCH_ARM32 1
+	#elif defined(__aarch64__)
+		#define ARCH_ARM64 1
+	#else
+		#error "Can't identify architecture"
+	#endif
+#endif
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------
+// platform helper macros
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------
+#if defined(COMPILER_CL)
+	#define mp_thread_local __declspec(thread)
+#elif defined(COMPILER_GCC) || defined(COMPILER_CLANG)
+	#define mp_thread_local __thread
+#endif
+
+#endif // __PLATFORM_H_
diff --git a/src/util/atomic.h b/src/util/atomic.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..580e50b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/atomic.h
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+//*****************************************************************
+//
+//	$file: atomic.h $
+//	$author: Martin Fouilleul $
+//	$date: 22/12/2022 $
+//	$revision: $
+//	$note: (C) 2022 by Martin Fouilleul - all rights reserved $
+//
+//*****************************************************************
+#ifndef __ATOMIC_H_
+#define __ATOMIC_H_
+
+#include"platform.h"
+
+#if (defined(COMPILER_CL) || defined(COMPILER_CLANG_CL)) && defined(__STDC_NO_ATOMICS__)
+	#define _Atomic(t) volatile t
+	//TODO
+#else
+	#include<stdatomic.h>
+#endif
+
+#endif __ATOMIC_H_
diff --git a/src/util/memory.c b/src/util/memory.c
index 4136d2b..093f5ad 100644
--- a/src/util/memory.c
+++ b/src/util/memory.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 *****************************************************************/
 #include<string.h> // memset
 
+#include"platform.h"
 #include"memory.h"
 #include"platform_base_allocator.h"
 #include"macro_helpers.h"
@@ -112,13 +113,7 @@ void mem_pool_clear(mem_pool* pool)
 //NOTE(martin): per-thread scratch arena
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-//TODO: move that somewhere in context cracking code
-#ifdef _WIN32
-	#define __thread __declspec(thread)
-#endif
-
-__thread mem_arena __scratchArena = {0};
-
+mp_thread_local mem_arena __scratchArena = {0};
 
 mem_arena* mem_scratch()
 {
diff --git a/src/util/ringbuffer.h b/src/util/ringbuffer.h
index e5f5a7d..b9f7c1f 100644
--- a/src/util/ringbuffer.h
+++ b/src/util/ringbuffer.h
@@ -10,13 +10,7 @@
 #define __RINGBUFFER_H_
 
 #include"typedefs.h"
-
-#if defined(_MSC_VER) && defined(__STDC_NO_ATOMICS__)
-	#define _Atomic(t) volatile t
-#else
-	#include<stdatomic.h>
-#endif
-
+#include"atomic.h"
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {