Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!uwvax!per2!dag
From: dag@per2.UUCP (Daniel A. Glasser)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: alloca (was vs var-len auto arrays)
Summary: alloca not adopted in the ANSI standard
Message-ID: <851@per2.UUCP>
Date: 28 Apr 89 22:08:32 GMT
References: <11344@tekecs.GWD.TEK.COM> <1381@naucse.UUCP>
Organization: Persoft Inc., Madison, WI
Lines: 20

In article <1381@naucse.UUCP>, jdc@naucse.UUCP (John Campbell) writes:
> I don't remember alloca() making it to the ANSI standard library.  I hereby
> request that only those who write *useless* code use alloca()! :-)

Here here!

The standard does not have alloca() anywhere in it.  The rationale document
does mention the omission in 4.10.3 -- (quoted without permission)

    Some implementations provide a function (often called alloca) which
    allocates the requested object from automatic storage;  the object is
    automatically freed when the calling function exits.  _S_u_c_h _a _f_u_n_c_t_i_o_n
    _i_s _n_o_t _e_f_f_i_c_i_e_n_t_l_y _i_m_p_l_e_m_e_n_t_a_b_l_e _i_n _a _v_a_r_i_e_t_y _o_f _e_n_v_i_r_o_n_m_e_n_t_s_, _s_o _i_t
    _w_a_s _n_o_t _a_d_o_p_t_e_d _i_n _t_h_e _S_t_a_n_d_a_r_d.

-- 
 _____________________________________________________________________________
    Daniel A. Glasser                           One of those things that goes
    uwvax!per2!dag                              "BUMP!!!(ouch)" in the night. 
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