This is the mail archive of the gdb@sourceware.org mailing list for the GDB 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: C99? No, portability.


On Fri, Jul 19, 2013 at 10:39 AM, Doug Evans <dje@google.com> wrote:
> The things that are unsupported seem pretty esoteric as far as gdb is concerned.
> And at any rate, I'm sure we can find a useful subset.
> I can imagine we did the same thing when we transitioned to C89
> (especially with respect to library support).
> I can also imagine we're still avoiding things added in C89 (for
> portability reasons), but I'm glad we transitioned.
>
> On Thu, Jul 18, 2013 at 8:26 AM, John Kearney <jokearney@qnx.com> wrote:
>> Well c99 may be 14 years old but it still isn't fully supported.
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C99
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: gdb-owner@sourceware.org [mailto:gdb-owner@sourceware.org] On Behalf Of Doug Evans
>> Sent: Donnerstag, 18. Juli 2013 00:38
>> To: John Gilmore
>> Cc: Mark Kettenis; Tom Tromey; gdb
>> Subject: Re: C99? No, portability.
>>
>> On Wed, Jul 17, 2013 at 1:11 AM, John Gilmore <gnu@toad.com> wrote:
>>>> > So, I'd like to propose we allow the use of C99 in gdb.  In
>>>> > particular I think we ought to require a C99 preprocessor --
>>>> > enabling this particular patch to go in and also allowing the use of "//" comments.
>>>>
>>>> Perhaps it is time to move on and start requiring a C99 compiler for GDB.
>>>
>>> Mark said it correctly.  This change would "require" a C99 compiler.
>>> Not just "allow the use of C99 in GDB".
>>>
>>> I recommend that you NOT break compatability with older compilers for
>>> gratuitous reasons.  For example, I still run systems based on Red Hat
>>> 7.3, which use gcc-2.96.  I can still compile modern GDB's on that
>>> system.  (With the few portability patches below :-).)
>>
>> gdb successfully moved from K&R to C89, so it's not like we haven't been through this before.
>>
>> C99 is 14 years old.  How many people still require C89 vs how many have long since moved on?

As of 4.8 gcc requires c++ to build.
ref: http://gcc.gnu.org/gcc-4.8/changes.html
The compiler has (finally) moved on.
Let's please not hold back gdb.


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