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From: torek@elf.ee.lbl.gov (Chris Torek)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: I need help with this structure loop(?)
Message-ID: <13816@dog.ee.lbl.gov>
Date: 2 Jun 91 12:10:39 GMT
Article-I.D.: dog.13816
References: <789@ra.MsState.Edu> <1991Jun1.205224.27309@thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu>
Reply-To: torek@elf.ee.lbl.gov (Chris Torek)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley
Lines: 15
X-Local-Date: Sun, 2 Jun 91 05:10:39 PDT

In article <1991Jun1.205224.27309@thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu>
mouse@thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu (der Mouse) writes:
>You shouldn't be using gets(). ... Use fgets() instead.
>The reason for this is that it has no checking to prevent overrunning
>the buffer passed to it, and by its very design *cannot* have any such
>checking.

Well, technically, it *can*; Saber-C is one example.  However, it is
fairly expensive to make it check (`gets' itself does not do the checking
in Saber, but rather the underlying implementation; and the checking
vanishes when you use precompiled code), and most implementations will
not, so the above remains good advice.
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Lawrence Berkeley Lab CSE/EE (+1 415 486 5427)
Berkeley, CA		Domain:	torek@ee.lbl.gov