Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!auspex!guy
From: guy@auspex.UUCP (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: lint question
Message-ID: <831@auspex.UUCP>
Date: 11 Jan 89 18:58:20 GMT
References: <491@babbage.acc.virginia.edu> <317@twwells.uucp>
Reply-To: guy@auspex.UUCP (Guy Harris)
Organization: Auspex Systems, Santa Clara
Lines: 19

>The return values of the printf family functions are not very
>consistently defined. Because of this, one should never use their
>return value.

More correctly:

	There exist at least two definitions of the return values
	of the printf family functions.  Because of this, you should
	only use their return value if you know your software will be
	built only in environments where one particular definition
	is in effect.

	The System V definition has them returning the number of
	characters printed on success, or EOF on failure, and this
	is also the definition in the current dpANS.  Thus, this
	definition will become more common in the future; eventually,
	most, if not all, systems will use this definition.  Even UNIX
	systems that "started with 4BSD" often have environments in
	which this definition is used.