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Re: Guru-nizing printing of types
On Mon, Nov 15, 1999 at 09:08:54AM -0800, Jason Merrill wrote:
> I still feel that this is not a C++-specific question; we should be
> consistent with the C frontend and the GNU Coding Standards on this issue.
> Pointers are the same in C and C++.
>
> Jason
Allow me to quote from
http://sourceware.cygnus.com/libstdc++/17_intro/C++STYLE
<quote>
This library is written to appropriate C++ coding standards. As such,
it is intended to precede the recommendations of the GNU Coding
Standard, which can be referenced here:
http://www.gnu.ai.mit.edu/prep/standards_toc.html
...
Notable areas of divergence from what may be previous local practice
(particularly for GNU C) include:
01. Pointers and references
char* p = "flop";
char& c = *p;
-NOT-
char *p = "flop"; // wrong
char &c = *p; // wrong
Reason: In C++, definitions are mixed with executable code. Here,
p is being initialized, not *p. This is near-universal
practice among C++ programmers; it is normal for C hackers
to switch spontaneously as they gain experience.
</quote>
I agree fully with the "switch spontaneously", I switched myself
radically and spontaneously after reading the above page only
a few weeks ago! ;)
As they ( people from Cygnus! ;) say:
- "it is intended to precede the recommendations of the
GNU Coding Standard"
and
- "This is near-universal practice among C++ programmers"
... I hope that you can agree with a change of style for at
least the output of C++ programs, Jason.
As was proposed by Gabriel; perhaps you agree with adding
a switch for this (relatively simple) change in printing
types in warnings and errors, and make the as-above-recommended
C++ style the default when compiling with g++?
Carlo Wood