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On Mon, Dec 12, 2005 at 10:22:26PM +0000, Iain Hibbert wrote:
> On Mon, 12 Dec 2005, Rui Paulo wrote:
>=20
> > On 2005.12.08 00:55:26 +0000, Iain Hibbert wrote:
> > |
> > | so, like I say - any comments welcomed..  this is not the end, or eve=
n the
> > | beginning of the end but its getting near the end of the beginning..
> >
> > Style:
>=20
> > 1) please use ANSI function declarations;
>=20
> on all functions? (grumble grumble..)

I realize you got a lot of response to this and that I'm a bit late. But=20
yes, this point is important.

The problem is that K&R prototypes won't work right if we pass in a=20
parameter that's larger than an int. Like a long or a pointer on an LP64=20
system.

In such a case, the caller will turn the parameter into an int, truncating=
=20
it. Worse yet, the caller will then pack other parameters in, not leaving=
=20
enough space for what the caller will expect the parameter to be. Thus the=
=20
callee will see two parameters mixed together in what it thinks is one=20
parameter (by our style guide, it will get the parameters right), and a=20
parameter at the end will be totally uninitialized.

This behavior is why we're moving away from K&R parameters & prototypes.

Take care,

Bill

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