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Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watnot!watmath!clyde!rutgers!dayton!viper!john
From: john@viper.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Standard int sizes
Message-ID: <832@viper.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 13-Apr-87 14:34:43 EST
Article-I.D.: viper.832
Posted: Mon Apr 13 14:34:43 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 15-Apr-87 03:38:14 EST
References: <6759@brl-adm.ARPA> <230@ems.UUCP> <170@vianet.UUCP> <5744@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Reply-To: john@viper.UUCP (John Stanley)
Organization: DynaSoft Systems
Lines: 39

In article <5744@brl-smoke.ARPA> gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) <gwyn>) writes:
 >In article <170@vianet.UUCP> devine@vianet.UUCP (Bob Devine) writes:
 >> ...  That is, if you need a 16 bit arithmetic type, use:
 >>
 >> If "machine has compiler that uses 16 bits for 'short'"
 >> #define int16  short
 >>
 >> If "machine has compiler that uses 16 bits for 'int'"
 >> #define int16  int
 >
 >If you simply need at least 16 bits in a signed integer data type,
 >use "short".  That way whoever reads the code doesn't have to learn
 >what your invention "int16" means.
 >

  Right Doug...  Then I just have to "learn what your invention" short
means...  I've used 3 compilers where "short" == 8bit signed...

I don't see any real porting problems with intXX.  Any programmer who
sees a header file full of lines like Bob gave who can't figure out
that int16 is a sixteen bit integer doesn't belong in front of a CRT.
On the other hand, ANY assumption you try making about "int, short, 
long, or even char" which assumes a fixed size can be proven wrong
given enough compilers...

  I agree with Bob even though using intXX -everywhere- is, to put it
mildy, a nusance.  I'd probably write the program using int, char, etc and
then go thru it just before I release it to change everything (except maybe
char) to intXX form.  On the other hand, I'd -much- prefer having to change
one header file containing several intXX defines instead of having to
go thru someone elses code (assumption-riddled buggy code at that) and try
to figure out how big each and every type was on the originating machine 
by looking at the code.  (I've had to do the latter and it's more of a pain
than I -ever- want to have to do again...)

--- 
John Stanley (john@viper.UUCP)
Software Consultant - DynaSoft Systems
UUCP: ...{amdahl,ihnp4,rutgers}!{meccts,dayton}!viper!john