FP formats not linked-- still ANSI?

[Jamshid Afshar]

Borland's Turbo C++ compiler (even in ANSI C mode) for MS-DOS may
produce an executable which gives the error "floating point formats
not linked", because the linker does not link in the fp code if it
does not believe the code will be needed.  The problem is it does not
always catch the cases where the code is used.  Anyway, this is well
known and there is a work-around.  I am wondering if an ANSI C compiler
is allowed to exhibit this behavior.  Borland refuses to call it a
bug.  I don't mean to nitpick or cause Borland grief on this subject
(other subjects maybe), but I'm just curious if ANSI left some things
about the link phase (if it even mentions one) unspecified.

Just curious,
Jamshid Afshar
jamshid at emx.utexas.edu