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From: jans@stalker.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: initializing null pointers
Message-ID: <8145@tekecs.TEK.COM>
Date: Tue, 10-Feb-87 11:32:51 EST
Article-I.D.: tekecs.8145
Posted: Tue Feb 10 11:32:51 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 13-Feb-87 06:26:44 EST
References: <785@cullvax.UUCP>
Sender: nobody@tekecs.TEK.COM
Reply-To: jans@stalker.UUCP (Jan Steinman)
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Wilsonville, OR
Lines: 17

In article <785@cullvax.UUCP> drw@cullvax.UUCP (Dale Worley) writes:
>jans@stalker.gwd.tek.com (Jan Steinman) writes:
>> The most portable thing to do is NEVER dereference a pointer that has not
>> been initialized.  Some micro compilers I've used don't even initialize
>> automatics!
   ^^^^^^^^^^	<--- should have been globals
>
>I would suspect that any optiomizing compiler would try to avoid
>initializing automatics--they're not required to, and it takes time.

Yes, several of you have reminded me of my mistake.  The BDS compiler I used
under CP/M didn't even initialize globals, and at least one or two others
I've used didn't initialize statics -- clearly violating K&R p 198.

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