Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!apple!motcsd!lance
From: lance@motcsd.csd.mot.com (lance.norskog)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: Byte and bit order within packet headers
Message-ID: <3806@motcsd.csd.mot.com>
Date: 29 Apr 91 22:40:35 GMT
References: <9104261535.AA28580@alias.alias.com>
Organization: Motorola CSD, Cupertino CA
Lines: 16

mark@alias.com (Mark Andrews) writes:

>I have a question concerning concering the byte and bit order of fields
>within packet headers. Many of the RFCS (including RFC1060) state rules
>about the byte (octet) order:
> [ use of C bit fields elided ]

The C programming language is missing a lot of useful features;
paradoxically, bit fields should never have been added.  In
particular, they should not be used for expressing the movement
of binary data between machines.  BSD TCP/IP shouldn't have used
bit fields to begin with, and should be rewritten to get rid of
them.  Sorry, I can't volunteer.  You should quit trying to 
use them, and rewrite your code to remove them.

Lance Norskog