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Re: [Gperf-bugs] Preprocessor requirements for gperf "K&R" output


From: Bruno Haible
Subject: Re: [Gperf-bugs] Preprocessor requirements for gperf "K&R" output
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2003 19:14:59 +0200
User-agent: KMail/1.5

Hi,

Hrvoje Niksic wrote:
> Gperf C output emits a preprocessor safeguard against running on
> non-ASCII character sets.  Although the code is valid ISO C, I'm
> concerned that older preprocessors will not be able to parse it.  For
> example, I remember that the preprocessor that came with Ultrix had
> problems with complex preprocessor expressions.

I'll deal with this possible problem when someone has verified that
it is a problem. Neither you nor I apparently have access to an Ultrix
machine; if noone uses Ultrix or a similarly old system then the
issue is moot.

> Incompatibilities like
> that are why older programs prefer to write
>
> #if foo
> # if bar
> #  if baz
> ... blah ...
> #  endif
> # endif
> #endif
>
> to the simpler "#if foo && bar && baz" variant.

We have been using "#if foo && bar && baz" in GNU for at least 12 years,
and are not getting bug reports about it.

> I propose that in "K&R" output mode the non-ASCII safeguard be removed.
> Gperf has lived without it for years

This is not a good suggestion, because a significant percentage of these
very old systems was not using ASCII (but EBCDIC and other charsets).
The lack of a safeguard has been a bug for years.

Bruno





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