Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!brl-adm!brl-smoke!gwyn
From: gwyn@brl-smoke.ARPA (Doug Gwyn )
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: short circuit evaluation
Message-ID: <5679@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Date: Sat, 14-Mar-87 15:53:40 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-smok.5679
Posted: Sat Mar 14 15:53:40 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 17-Mar-87 01:46:48 EST
References: <903@cullvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) <gwyn>)
Organization: Ballistic Research Lab (BRL), APG, MD.
Lines: 13

In article <903@cullvax.UUCP> drw@cullvax.UUCP (Dale Worley) writes:
>The parentheses you wrote aren't explicit cues to the compiler, by
>definition.  (*Why* X3J11 did this is another question...)

But an easily answered one:
	1.  X3J11's base document was K&R Appendix A.
	2.  Existing practice.
	3.  C is not Fortran.
	4.  Many parentheses are introduced during macro
		expansion, and it is undesirable to prohibit
		optimization of these.
	5.  An explicit mechanism (unary +) was provided that
		can be used to obtain the desired functionality.