Portable code: identifier length

Henry Spencer henry at utzoo.UUCP
Fri Dec 19 07:59:36 AEST 1986


> Question 1: are there *other* C implementations which do less than 31? (If
> 	    so, what's their choice, please?)

Well, there's always the original C compilers from Bell Labs -- you would
be surprised at how many copies of them and their direct derivatives are
still in use -- which implemented 7-character significance for external
names.

Old DEC operating systems, some of which have C compilers, only support
6 in the linkers.

There are probably more.

> Question 2: are there *any* pre-processor implementations which do not adhere
> 	    to the full 31?

No shortage; see above note about original C compilers, which only kept 8
for preprocessor identifiers.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,decvax,pyramid}!utzoo!henry



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