Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site gummo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!hcr!decvax!harpo!gummo!ber
From: ber@gummo.UUCP (ber)
Newsgroups: mod.ber
Subject: net.lang.c
Message-ID: <996@gummo.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 27-Feb-84 15:36:10 EST
Article-I.D.: gummo.996
Posted: Mon Feb 27 15:36:10 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 28-Feb-84 02:08:56 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Whippany
Lines: 68
Approved: ber@gummo.UUCP

Summary of net.lang.c for period 2/13/84 - 2/22/84
    as seen at utah-gr by Spencer Thomas 
    53 Messages (1255 - 1328)

Further discussion of ANSI C Standard proposal.  Mostly
concerning parameter declarations. (1)

Question on semantics of cat = foo ? fu = bar : mouse. (2)
    Responses: Since there's only one legal parse, what's the question?
        It's not precedence, but order of evaluation that matters(2)
    A complaint that the C compiler for the GEC 63/30 handles this wrong.
        The message asks people to please parenthesize to death, especially
        in macro definitions.

Further discussion of imbedded \0 characters in strings.  (1)

Discussion of casting pointers to get a fast byte copy. (3)

Gross hack to discover if characters are signed in the preprocessor.

A question about if versus ?: constructs.
    A claim that the compiled code should be identical for both constructs.
    In one case, ?: generates more code than if ... else.
    Explanation of why this is reasonable.
This was prompted by a line in K&R saying that the compiler discards 
    expressions with no side effects.  A respondent points out that some
    machine dependent code depends on the "discarded value" for "asm" escapes.

Further discussion of ones complement arithmetic - appears to be winding down.

A proposal for a preprocessor construct to comment out code.
    A suggestion that "#ifdef COMMENTED_OUT_CODE" works fine, is clear, and
    doesn't require modifying the compiler.

"Why C doesn't optimize".  Report on a head-to-head confrontation between
C and Bliss compilers.  A multiple message report.  Long and detailed.  Of
course, C lost.
        Response that at least one of the comparisons is full of air.
        Retort that it is not (with some supporting documentation).

A question about curses (what's this doing in here?).

Should the shell print "sh: error message"?  (Continuing discussion, triggered
by a complaint about programs which just exit(1) on error, with little or no
error message.
        One message proposes that programs should print their name if other
        programs are running concurrently, and, if you are logged in to more
        than one machine, they should also print the machine name! (I think :-)

A request for language design features for multiprocessor kernel implementation. 

What does the Fortran keyword do?

mcnc!ecsvax!bet wants a C compiler for IBM 370 under OS/MVS

On the Orion (and maybe other machines) structs are passed as arguments on a
separate stack.  This breaks certain printf usages.
    Comment that passing structs to printf is gross.
    The behaviour of the Orion is "within spec", the language defn is silent
    about the exact parameter passing mechanism.

Is a semicolon required after the last field in a struct?
    It doesn't hurt to put it in, for sure. (1)
    C manual requires it. (2)

Multiple group message about "automated standardizing system".  Looking for
categories suitable for standardizing and specific suggestions.  If you
contribute, you get a copy of the finished product.