[Bug c/39581] New: VLA types at file scope wrongly rejected

[jsm28 at gcc dot gnu dot org]

GCC gives an error "variable-size type declared outside of any function"
for code such as:

int a;
int b = sizeof (int (*)[a]);

As far as I can tell there is no basis for this in C99; the sizeof expression
certainly has result an integer constant in this case and its operand
is not evaluated.  It's declarations of ordinary identifiers with variably
modified type that aren't allowed outside functions.

Similarly, casts to variably modified types should be permitted at file
scope under similar circumstances to those accepted in static initializers
in gcc.dg/c99-const-expr-11.c (and gnu99-const-expr-3.c).


-- 
           Summary: VLA types at file scope wrongly rejected
           Product: gcc
           Version: 4.5.0
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Keywords: rejects-valid
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P3
         Component: c
        AssignedTo: unassigned at gcc dot gnu dot org
        ReportedBy: jsm28 at gcc dot gnu dot org
OtherBugsDependingO 16989
             nThis:


http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=39581