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From: jerry@TALOS.UUCP (Jerry Gitomer)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: use only short and long (not int) in struct message
Message-ID: <813@TALOS.UUCP>
Date: 9 Jan 91 15:41:14 GMT
References: <41145@nigel.ee.udel.edu>
Organization: NPRI, Alexandria VA
Lines: 40

burgess%creek.decnet@hqhsd.brooks.af.mil (CREEK::BURGESS) writes:

:Klamer Schutte -- Universiteit Twente <klamer@MI.ELTN.UTWENTE.NL: writes:
::
::	[material not relevant to this reply deleted]
::
::Why include the assumption that short == 16 bits and long == 32 bits?
::Please use something like int16 and int32 when you mean that.
::This will save you when using a machine where short=16, int=32 and long=64 bits
::
::These names should be typedef'ed somewhere.
::
::Comments?
:  Wasn't the original definition of "short" and "long" from K&R explicit?  I
:recall a page in the book describing the various lengths of the the types and
:"int" being the only machine-specific one.  I think the definition was
:short: 8 bits and long: [16||32) i can't remember exactly)] bits.  Besides,
:the compilers in question are virtually all written by and maintained by
:people on the net.  If short is always eight bits and long is always 32 bits,
:then the idea (IMHO) is an excellent method to overcome the problems with
:variant "int" sizes.

	Extracted from table on page 182 of K&R:

	DEC       	Honeywell     	IBM    	Interdata     
	PDP-11		6000		370	8/32

int	16 bits		36 bits		32 bits	32 bits
short	16     		36     		16     	16     
long	32		36		32	32

As can be seen the size of int, short, and long is machine
dependent.  As someone who does not use an 80x86 derivative
I would prefer to see machine dependencies clearly
delineated by using names such as short36 and long32 :-)

-- 
Jerry Gitomer at National Political Resources Inc, Alexandria, VA USA
I am apolitical, have no resources, and speak only for myself.
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