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From: thau@h-sc1.UUCP (robert thau)
Newsgroups: net.lang.c
Subject: Re: casts to (void) [considered harmful]
Message-ID: <493@h-sc1.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 2-Aug-85 00:42:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: h-sc1.493
Posted: Fri Aug  2 00:42:46 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 3-Aug-85 05:46:25 EDT
References: <11@brl-tgr.ARPA> <> <168@telesoft.UUCP>
Organization: Harvard Univ. Science Center
Lines: 21

>     The use of (void) also points out the fact that the programmer
>     *intentionally* is ignoring the return value of the function.
>     At the very least it is useful documentation.
> 
>     KEITH F. PILOTTI -- TeleSoft         (619) 457-2700 x172

*** Flame warning ***
printf() is invariably used as a formatted-output statement,
not as a value-returning function.  A "(void)" which makes this fact explicit
not only adds no information to a program, but obscures things by hiding
the actual code behind a forest of (face it, folks) lint directives.  What's
worse, there are far too many people who believe that "(void)",
"/*ARGSUSED*/" and the ilk are documentation rather than clutter;
their code is generally bereft of comments which *explain* data structures,
*elucidate* obscure algorithms, and *clarify* code.  DOWN WITH LINT SALAD!!!
*** Flameout ***
-- 
Robert Thau			        \
Keeper of the *FLAME*			))
rst@tardis.ARPA			       ( (
h-sc1%thau@harvard.ARPA			\\