Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!mailrus!purdue!decwrl!sun!quintus!ok
From: ok@quintus.uucp (Richard A. O'Keefe)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: sprintf(3s) query
Message-ID: <865@quintus.UUCP>
Date: 14 Dec 88 06:47:54 GMT
References: <1102@entropy.ms.washington.edu> <8131@ihlpl.ATT.COM>
Sender: news@quintus.UUCP
Reply-To: ok@quintus.UUCP (Richard A. O'Keefe)
Organization: Quintus Computer Systems, Inc.
Lines: 13

In article <8131@ihlpl.ATT.COM> knudsen@ihlpl.ATT.COM (Knudsen) writes:
>Funny you should mention Sun and sprintf().  I have just
>learned the hard way that while most (???) C systems
>have sprintf return the number of characters written,
>the Sun version returns the buffer address!
>Let's hear it for STANDARD I/O Libraries!

yes, let's.  SunOS was originally based on 4.2BSD, and 4.2BSD sprintf()
returns the buffer address.  Why is that?  Because Berkeley ***DIDN'T***
change it!  AT&T changed the "standard" library!

And while we're bashing Sun, let's note that they are so unprincipled
that they provide the System V behaviour if you want it.  Just compile
your programs with /usr/5bin/cc.  What villains!  (Heavy irony.)