Problem using VAX C

[H.Bernau]

One week ago I wrote:

> We are having a problem using VAX C.
> [stuff deleted]
> For example, the folling piece of code will compile without any 
> errors/warnings using VAX-C (vcc under ULTRIX or cc under VMS):
>     main() {
> 
> 	short j;
> 	short a[10];
> 
> 	if( a == j) {
> 	    ;
> 	 }
>    }

> Does anyone knows how to detect these sort of things?

I'm sorry that I did't RTFM. But I searched for this error the whole day so
that I couldn't resist to post my request. Following the signature is a
summarize of the response I got.

Thanks again to all who gave help.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|   Rolf Bernau               |
|   GEI Software Technik mbH  |  Berlin:             astbe!ber
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Larry Jones uunet!sdrc!scjones
Steve Summit scs at adam.pika.mit.edu
Jim Barbour barbour at ncar.UCAR.EDU
Jerry Leichter leichter at CS.YALE.EDU 

They told me to use the option /STANDARD=PORTABLE on VMS. The corresponding
option for the ULTRIX vcc is -V standard. That works fine indeed. 
----
bill davidsen (davidsen at crdos1.crd.GE.COM)
> Use another compiler. Seriously, this is a matter of "quality of
> implementation" and philosophy. I like a compiler which requires setting
> an option somehow (what I would call the pickey option) to warn me about
> things which are legal but often misused.

Another compiler isn't necessary (see the above).
-- 
Walter Murray (..hplabs!hpda!walter)
>  1.  Use an ANSI-conforming compiler when you have access to one.
>      A conforming compiler will be required to produce a diagnostic
>      on this error.
>  2.  Use lint.  I think most versions of lint will catch the problem.

1. Not necessary (see above)
2. Using lint will work. But if you use some features of VAX C (unfortunatly we
   must) lint will give so many messages that I think the one I want to see
   will get lost.
-------------
Jim Patterson decvax!utzoo!dciem!nrcaer!cognos!jimp
> A company called IPT sells a lint-like product called LINT-PLUS.
> (It used to be called TRACER). It runs under VMS as well as a
> number of other non-unix platforms, and more or less understands
> VMS C. It should be able to locate missing casts as well as
> various other potential problems.
> IPT's address is
>     Information Processing Techniques Corporation
>     1096 East Meadow Circle
>     Palo Alto, California 94303
>     Phone: (415) 494-7500 in U.S.A.
> (This is fairly old, but I can't locate a more up to date one).