Path: utzoo!yunexus!maccs!gordan
From: gordan@maccs.UUCP (gordan)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Useful macro...or dangerous??
Summary: Dangerous
Keywords: macro
Message-ID: <1166@maccs.UUCP>
Date: 30 Apr 88 14:53:38 GMT
Article-I.D.: maccs.1166
Posted: Sat Apr 30 10:53:38 1988
References: <221@raunvis.UUCP>
Reply-To: gordan@maccs.UUCP ()
Organization: Worldwide Phlogiston Cartel
Lines: 16

In article <221@raunvis.UUCP> kjartan@raunvis.UUCP (Kjartan Pier Emilsson Jardedlisfraedi) writes:
-
- [Is it a good idea to test for equality of structures by doing a
- byte-by-byte comparison for sizeof(struct xxx) bytes?]

"Because certain data objects may be constrained by the target computer
to lie on certain addressing boundaries, a structure object may contain
"holes," storage units that do not belong to any component of the
structure.  The holes would make equality tests implemented as a
wholesale bit-by-bit comparison unreliable..."

-- Harbison & Steele, 2nd. ed., p. 103

-- 
                 Gordan Palameta
            uunet!mnetor!maccs!gordan