Re: Mismatch about which version of C is ok to require (K&R woes, again)

[Karl Berry]

Hi Stefano,

        To support pre-standard C, instead of writing function definitions
        in standard prototype form, [SNIP]
    and then again, near the end:
        In order to support pre-standard compilers that do not recognize
        prototypes, you may want to use a preprocessor macro like [SNIP]

Sure, both of those are only talking about *if* you want to support
pre-standard C.

    both of which seems redundant, if not in contradiction, with the fact
    that it's now OK to require C89.

It is neither redundant nor a contradiction, as far as I can see.

    IMHO this references to no-longer-supported K&R C (and other similar
    references, if any) should just be removed.

Last I knew, rms doesn't want to remove K&R C references yet, because
it's not true that it is "no longer supported" (in his mind).  What's
true is that GNU packages are not *required* to support K&R.  (And
haven't been for a long time.)

He's already answered me on this topic and I'm not inclined to bring it up
with him again until 2014 at the earliest.  If someone else wants to
write him about it, feel free.

Best,
k