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From: papa@bacall.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Portable "C" Code
Message-ID: <2368@bacall.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 8-Apr-87 14:35:46 EST
Article-I.D.: bacall.2368
Posted: Wed Apr  8 14:35:46 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Apr-87 14:48:15 EST
References: <8704071939.AA09157@cory.Berkeley.EDU>
Organization: CS&CE Depts, U.S.C., Los Angeles, CA
Lines: 51

> 
>       
> >> From Robert Mitchell:
> >>       1) Manx defaults to 16 bit integers and Lattice uses 32 bit.
> >>       2) Assembly language subroutines in Manx expect 16 bit
> >>          integer parameters, while Lattice promotes to 32 bit.
> >
> >This is not true.  What you call assembly language subroutines are actually
> >the Amiga library routines.  These have ALWAY expected 32 bits for their 
> >parameters.  So, no matter which compiler and model you use, you must pass
> >32-bit paramters to them.  There is never a problem when passing pointers,
> >since they are always 32-bits.  The problem comes when passing ints.  With
> >-- Marco Papa
> 
> 	You misinterpreted Robert's comment, Marco.  He was *NOT* talking
> about the assembly interface to the Amiga library, he was talking about
> assembly support routines that many people write for their programs.  Those 
> people who are used to Manx w/16bit ints write their assembly routines 
> expecting short's for int's on the stack whereas somebody writing assembly
> for Lattice or Manx-32bit would always expect long's for ints on the stack.
> 
> 				-Matt

True and not true.  Robert says that "Assembly languages subroutines in
MANX expects 16 bit integers", and you are saying that this is true only
for people "who are used to MANX w/16bit" not "Manx-32bit". This was
basically my point.  Assembly language routines expect what you tell them
to expect.

Going back to "C" portability, Thomas Plum in his "Writing Portable C
Programs" tutorial at the USENIX 1986 conference gives the following
suggestions:

Some practical guarantees:
char	8 bits (or more)
short	16 bits (or more)
long	32 bits (or more)
int	no guarantee
use these types in preferences to int

-- Marco

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