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From: MRC%PANDA@SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: 6 character identifiers
Message-ID: <6843@brl-adm.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 12-Apr-87 23:26:49 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-adm.6843
Posted: Sun Apr 12 23:26:49 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 14-Apr-87 00:32:06 EST
Sender: news@brl-adm.ARPA
Lines: 12


     I think it's a bad idea to eliminate the 6-character identifier
rule.  A compiler/linker pair can, as an extension, allow longer
identifiers, but use of such identifiers *does* sacrifice portability.

     I have had the distinct non-pleasure of having to port code to a
6-character identifier compiler/linker environment.  It was no fun at
all.  [To be fair, I should point out that the linker in question, the
DEC-20 linker, does allow long identifiers.  Unfortunately, the C
compiler generates assembly language source files, not linker binaries,
and the assembler has the 6-character limit.]
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