Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tank!ncar!mailrus!bbn!apple!vsi1!bitbug
From: bitbug@vicom.COM (James Buster)
Newsgroups: comp.std.c
Subject: External Linkage in dpANS C
Summary: external variables
Message-ID: <1339@vsi1.COM>
Date: 4 Jan 89 02:13:35 GMT
Reply-To: bitbug@vicom.COM (James Buster)
Distribution: comp.std.c, comp.lang.c
Organization: Vicom Systems, Inc.
Lines: 30

I saw mentioned in passing in one of these newsgroups (comp.std.c, comp.lang.c)
that a variable with external linkage in dpANS C is resolved with 6 significant
characters and no case sensitivity. I have some questions regarding this:

1. Is this true?
2. Is six significant monocase characters the *minimal implementation*,
   or *required*?
3. If required, why should a case sensitive language like C
   use a case insensitive linker?
4. If required, why should I damage my flexnames linker?
5. If required, why should anybody want to use such a brain damaged
   implementation of C?
5. If required, how can only 6 significant characters be portable?
6. If required, why should companies with ancient linker technology
   force me to use such ancient technology, or why can't they use 80s
   linker technology?
7. I presume I don't have to explain the number of programs
   that would break because of this behavior (in particular,
   the external identifiers _printw and _printf conflict).
   Also, creating a function Write to interface to the system
   write function (along with some extra stuff) is relatively
   common practice.
8. In general, aaaarrrrggghhh!

--------------------------------------------
	     James Buster
	Mad Hacker Extraordinaire
    	...!ames!vsi1!bitbug
	   bitbug@vicom.com
--------------------------------------------