bug#8435: misuse of error ("...%d...", ...) on 64-bit hosts

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Sat, 09 Apr 2011 11:24:08 -0700
> From: Paul Eggert <eggert@cs.ucla.edu>
> CC: 8435@debbugs.gnu.org
> 
> > adding that support in other places has disadvantages that I
> > mentioned in my previous message.
> 
> The disadvantages are small compared to the advantages.

Sorry, but I disagree.  Instead of a single function that solved a
couple of problems internally, we now have to solve those problems in
users of that function, and we have to _remember_ that those problems
might be solved.

> Most of the changes in the patch are needed regardless
> of whether doprnt is kept or discarded.

I have no objections to those parts, as I wrote.

> The part about
> discarding doprnt shortens Emacs's code overall: it removes
> 283 lines (doprnt itself, plus scaffolding) and adds 17 lines
> (callers adjusting to the minor differences between doprnt
> and vsnprintf).  This is a clear win.

I don't think line count is a compelling argument in favor of the
change.

> Part of the motivation here is that doprnt contains too many bugs.

It cannot have too many real bugs, because it worked for so many years
with little or no trouble.

> it's wasteful to spend time maintaining a buggy near-copy of
> vsnprintf.  It's better software engineering practice to use
> vsnprintf instead.

Sorry, I don't agree.