Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!vsi!friedl From: friedl@vsi.COM (Stephen J. Friedl) Newsgroups: comp.std.c Subject: Re: Reserved names in ANSI C Keywords: linkers, redux Message-ID: <1150@vsi.COM> Date: 15 Jul 89 18:35:54 GMT References: <2619@yunexus.UUCP> <547@cybaswan.UUCP> Organization: V-Systems, Inc. -- Santa Ana, CA Lines: 31 In article <547@cybaswan.UUCP>, iiit-sh@cybaswan.UUCP (Steve Hosgood) writes: > > Yeah, but though you may be able to use more, a 'strictly conforming' program > can't, otherwise it won't port to sites with 6-character linkers. In other > words 6 characters *is* the real limit. This kind of thing comes up a lot, and it brings up a question I've had in my mind: how many real programs will *really* be strictly conforming? Almost all real programs will have to use libraries (say, Xwin or curses or networking or Informix) that will make the program not strictly conforming. Second, there is a limit to how far we will go in the name of portability, and in many environments there is a good benefit in not being saddled with a six-character limit. Yes, these programs are not portable, but it is straightforward enough to make up a file with #defines that map longnames to shortnames. How many people have the six-char limit foremost in their minds? How about those who never have to deal with these machines? Steve P.S. - Besides, my customer's programmers would laugh at me if I insisted that they worried about the 6-char limit. They think I'm academic enough as it is :-(. -- Stephen J. Friedl / V-Systems, Inc. / Santa Ana, CA / +1 714 545 6442 3B2-kind-of-guy / friedl@vsi.com / {attmail, uunet, etc}!vsi!friedl ---> vsi!bang!friedl <-- NEW "Hard work is a vastly overrated virtue" - my brother