On Wed, Dec 27, 2000 at 02:51:57PM -0500, Hildo Biersma wrote:
> This seems likely, but we must take care not to take these assumptions
> too far. For example, (and this is not realted to this discussion),
> pointers may well be smaller than integers (MVS defines 32-bit ints and
> 31-bit pointers)
This is exactly the reason why standards are important. An architecture
with 32-bit ints and 31-bit pointers is completely valid, and it is
important to not write code which assumes that ints and pointers are
interchangable.
> I have far less trust in the standards than you have. Having said that,
> I can't actually name non-compliant compilers, so you're quite likely to
> be right.
Most compilers will violate the standard in certain small ways; complete
conformance is an ideal rarely (if ever) reached. Few compilers (and
none, in my experience, of any quality) will commit gross violations
such as getting the guaranteed integer sizes wrong.
- Damien
