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From: scs@adam.mit.edu (Steve Summit)
Newsgroups: comp.std.c,comp.sys.amiga.programmer
Subject: Re: ANSI prototypes, the right choice...
Message-ID: <1991Feb9.075215.26939@athena.mit.edu>
Date: 9 Feb 91 07:52:15 GMT
References: <7708@sugar.hackercorp.com> <15089@smoke.brl.mil>
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In article <7708@sugar.hackercorp.com> peter@sugar.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) writes:
[mixture of new-style prototype declaration and old-style definition]
>While some compilers will accept this declaration while this prototype is
>in scope, it is not portable and should at least generate a warning.

In article <15089@smoke.brl.mil> gwyn@smoke.brl.mil (Doug Gwyn) writes:
>No, this is perfectly okay.  If Lattice C has a problem with it, it is a
>bug in Lattice C.

Not necessarily a bug, although I'd probably be annoyed by it.
Old-style declarations and definitions are both officially
obsolescent (sections 3.9.4 and 3.9.5); subject to deletion, at
X3J11's whim, in a future version of the Standard.  As the
Rationale says,

	Characterizing the old style as obsolescent is meant to
	discourage its use, and serve as a strong endorsement by
	the Committee of the new style.  It confidently expects
	that approval and adoption of the prototype style will
	make it feasible for some future C Standard to remove the
	old syntax.

K&R2 additionally asserts (p. 202) that "Mixtures are to be
avoided if possible."  Since compilers may issue any warning
messages they want to, I suspect that Lattice is just trying to
prod people towards the Party line.

(I'm actually not trying to defend the deprecation of the old
style; in fact I prefer that style.  Prototypes don't do anything
for me that lint doesn't do, and they're a pain to use during
transition.  But it's clear they're here to stay, so you don't
need to chastise me for being hidebound.)

                                            Steve Summit
                                            scs@adam.mit.edu