Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ukma.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!hasmed!qusavx!ukma!david From: david@ukma.UUCP (David Herron, NPR Lover) Newsgroups: net.lang.c Subject: Re: length of external names Message-ID: <455@ukma.UUCP> Date: Wed, 2-Jan-85 01:37:57 EST Article-I.D.: ukma.455 Posted: Wed Jan 2 01:37:57 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 3-Jan-85 00:49:55 EST References: <233@gumby.UUCP> <3194@alice.UUCP>, <236@gumby.UUCP> <4847@utzoo.UUCP>, <380@alberta.UUCP> Organization: Univ. of KY Mathematical Sciences Lines: 31 > From: jeff@alberta.UUCP (C. J. Sampson) > Newsgroups: net.lang.c > Subject: Re: length of external names > Message-ID: <380@alberta.UUCP> > Date: Sun, 30-Dec-84 21:38:19 EST > > > The current draft says that the length limit (if any) and treatment > > of case in external identifiers are "implementation-defined", which > > means that implementors can do things as they wish but must document > > their decisions. Also, the length limit may not be shorter than 6. > > Gads! When are they going to figure out that 6 or 8 characters is *not* > enough. I spent three hours porting ogre to an Altos 586 running some > ancient verson of Xenix and most of that was spent changing function > names because I had only 7 signifcant characters. I think that the standard > should enforce a minimum of 32 characters. We will make programs more > portable and readable. But if we enforce a minimum size then they will be portable only within the systems that support that size. I think "implementation-defined" is the way to go. At least for now. --:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:- David Herron; ARPA-> "ukma!david"@ANL-MCS (Try the arpa address w/ and w/o the quotes, I have had much trouble with both.) UUCP -:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:- (follow one of these routes) {ucbvax,unmvax,boulder,research} ! {anlams,anl-mcs} -----\ vvvvvvvvvvv >-!ukma!david {cbosgd!hasmed,mcvax!qtlon,vax135,mddc} ! qusavx -----/ ^^^^^^^^^^^