Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bbn!rochester!cornell!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!lee
From: lee@ssc-vax.UUCP (Lee Carver)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Global variables
Message-ID: <1003@ssc-bee.ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: 9 Mar 88 17:04:50 GMT
References: <11754@brl-adm.ARPA> <620@viper.Lynx.MN.Org> <2302@umd5.umd.edu> <17353@watmath.waterloo.edu>
Organization: Boeing Aerospace Corp., Seattle WA
Lines: 15
Summary: Thanks for the moral support

From a prior posting:
> >NEVER, NEVER, NEVER assume the system is going to put something
> >there unless you explicitly request it.  It stops a lot of bugs dead
> >in their tracks.  You might get away with it if you don't, but how
> >will you be sure?

In article <17353@watmath.waterloo.edu>, atbowler@watmath.waterloo.edu (Alan T. Bowler [SDG]) writes:
> Wheither or not the system actually initializes static data to zero
> is irrelevant.  Lee's rule is a good one to follow simply for the
> benefit of the human being has to read the code.   

I want to thank Mr. Bowler for the encouraging comments.  I took a lot of
stupid flak on this item ("nayh-nayh, you can't read the manual").
The point, as Mr. Bowler noticed, is not what is legal, but what is safe
and reliable.