Re: sort --version-sort

[Eric Blake]

Jim Meyering <jim <at> meyering.net> writes:

> I wondered if there were any GNU-specific functions, and even searched
> for *GNU* macros that might guard their declarations in string.in.h.
> There are none.  The main difference is that strcasestr is specified by
> POSIX and a declaration in string.h is required, while strverscmp is not.

No.  strcasecmp is specified by POSIX, in <strings.h>.  But strcasestr is pure 
extension, in <string.h>.  Also, Bruno added all his mbs* functions in gnulib's 
<string.h>...

> 
> I think it would be a mistake to encourage gnulib application writers
> to rely on <string.h> declaring the nonstandard strverscmp function.
> 
> However, if you can convince the open group to add it for POSIX-201x,
> it'd make perfect sense to add it to gnulib's string.in.h now.

...so it looks like Bruno would want to get his mbs* stuff standardized at the 
same time.  At any rate, based on the number of GNU functions standardized in 
200x (such as strdup), we stand a chance of being able to pull off additional 
functions in the next POSIX revision however many years down the road.

> 
> > Besides, fixing it in gnulib will benefit any other package developed 
primarily
> > on Linux but which forgets to include "strverscmp.h". So I'm going ahead 
with
> > a gnulib patch... oh, and I guess that means I'm also volunteering to write 
a
> > gnulib unit test for strverscmp...
> 
> Test suite additions are always welcome 
> 

I posted the testsuite as a separate patch - it needs a one-line change if we 
don't add strverscmp to <string.h>.

-- 
Eric Blake