Subject: Re: NULL return value checking
To: Matthew Mondor <mmondor@gobot.ca>
From: Alfred Perlstein <bright@mu.org>
List: tech-kern
Date: 04/23/2002 13:20:05
* Matthew Mondor <mmondor@gobot.ca> [020423 13:14] wrote:
> Is there real relevance to checking NULL return values against NULL itself, rather than simply using a boolean operation check?
> 
> eg:
> 
> if( (ptr = malloc(size)) !=NULL) {
> 
> instead of
> 
> if( (ptr = malloc(size)) ) {
> 
> Because isn't NULL defined in <sys/types.h>, to 0L ?

It's a stylistic choice.  Pointers are not boolean therefor you test
them against a value in order to derive a boolean for your test.

-- 
-Alfred Perlstein [alfred@freebsd.org]
'Instead of asking why a piece of software is using "1970s technology,"
 start asking why software is ignoring 30 years of accumulated wisdom.'
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