This is the mail archive of the libc-alpha@sourceware.org mailing list for the glibc project.


Index Nav: [Date Index] [Subject Index] [Author Index] [Thread Index]
Message Nav: [Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]
Other format: [Raw text]

Re: Problems with evolving feature test macros?


Christoph Hellwig wrote:
if I want to write a portable application having libc help me using only APIs provided in a well defined standard is useful

In theory that argument makes sense, but in practice almost nobody writes strictly conforming applications because it's too much trouble and these applications would have to do without too many useful features and speedups. Instead, portable applications tend to take an Autoconf-style approach, and accommodate themselves to whatever the platform has to offer.

For more about why strictly-conforming apps are rare, please see:

Walli SR. The myth of application source-code conformance. StandardView 1996;4(2);94â9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/234999.235002


Index Nav: [Date Index] [Subject Index] [Author Index] [Thread Index]
Message Nav: [Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]