Re: C99ism in gzip 1.4 inflate.c

[Eric Blake]

On 07/18/2010 06:51 AM, Jay K wrote:
> 
> C99ism in gzip 1.4 inflate.c:
> 
> 
> inflate.c: In function `inflate_codes':
> inflate.c:592: parse error before `unsigned'
> inflate.c:593: `delta' undeclared (first use in this function)
> inflate.c:593: (Each undeclared identifier is reported only once
> inflate.c:593: for each function it appears in.)
> make[1]: *** [inflate.o] Error 1
> make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/users/m3build/src/gzip-1.4'

Thanks for the report.

These days, declaration after statement (a C99 feature, required 11
years ago!) is pretty common among compilers, even if they aren't fully
C99 compliant.  We have already used this particular C99 feature in
coreutils for several years now, with very few complaints of an
inability to compile it (and for those complaining, the fixes necessary
to get back to pure C89 were rather trivial, as is the case with your
attached patch).  While gnulib still caters to C89, I'm not sure whether
the gzip policy is to be this strict or to assume newer compilers along
the lines already assumed by coreutils.

> 
> I suggest maybe use autoconf to pass -std=c89 to gcc if it accepts it.

That's only if we decide to make a policy of requiring that gzip must
still support C89.  However, I'm not the primary maintainer, so Jim will
have to weigh in on this discussion.

-- 
Eric Blake   address@hidden    +1-801-349-2682
Libvirt virtualization library http://libvirt.org

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