Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!apollo!gaz From: gaz@apollo.COM (Gary Zaidenweber) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: Malloc Message-ID: <3df48c91.52e@apollo.COM> Date: 19 Aug 88 17:30:00 GMT Distribution: comp Organization: Apollo Computer, Chelmsford, Mass. Lines: 25 This is not really as big a problem as it seems. The old malloc() can become a wrapper to the new malloc() which knows how to use the behavior of the old one when it is called by the wrapper routine. Only the trap code for the new malloc() is published in header files, though binaries which call the old trap code get the former behavior. In some future release of the os, the old malloc() behavior may be deleted, though it doesn't have to if its not in the way. This is really a case of discipline. It starts with the vendor when they publish the do's and don't's of using system calls. Please, Atari, begin to enforce this discipline on us (in a reasonable way, of course) by providing this kind of fix. We also have a strict rule on backward compatibility here at Apollo and we often use the above mechanism to get there. It increases your credibility and better code will result from developers. (note infinite feedback loop here.) I really hope you guys at Atari (Roy and Allan are the two names I remember) are feeding this back into your market research group. Good luck to you and us. -- UUCP: ...{umix,mit-eddie,uw-beaver}!apollo!gaz ARPA: gaz@apollo.COM AT&T: (508)256-6600 x6081 Its never too late to have a happy childhood!