structured assembler (BASIC) [Really: C builtin functions?]

[Michael Meissner]

In article <824 at ttrdc.UUCP> levy at ttrdc.UUCP (Daniel R. Levy) writes:

>In article <41 at cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP>, daveh at cbmvax.UUCP writes:
>>
>>C, LISP, Pascal, BASIC, etc., all have standard built-in functions.
>
>C has standard built-in functions????
>
>Gee, that's a new one on me.  EVERY function called from C is an external func-
>tion, or at least it was when C began.  This includes things like write(),
>read(), printf(), math functions, etc.  There's no such thing as, for example,
>a C builtin equivalent to the FORTRAN MAX() or the Basic INPUT which does the
>right thing no what the arguments' types are, or where the returned result is
>stored.  ...

That may be the original practice, but the X3J11 (ANSI C) drafts, now quite
clearly say that all functions defined in the library are reserved (ie, you
can't redefine them), and may be builtin to the compiler.  I believe that the
/usr/group standard (and probably P1003) reserved every function from all major
UNIX* variants.  It may be that redefining these reserved library functions
will continue to work in *YOUR* implementation, but it's not guaranteed.

	Michael Meissner, Data General
	...{ decvax, ihnp4 }!mcnc!rti-sel!dg_rtp!meissner

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