Re: stdint module on SGI

[Larry Jones]

Bruno Haible writes:
> 
> Mark D. Baushke wrote:
> > 
> > cc-1035 cc: WARNING File = /usr/include/stdint.h, Line = 5
> >   #error directive:  This header file is to be used only for c99 mode
> >           compilations
> > 
> >   #error This header file is to be used only for c99 mode compilations
> >    ^
> > 
> > right now. It might be nice if just the existence of <stdint.h> did not
> > imply that it was useful to the compiler...
> 
> Well, that's not the case currently: I assume that when you check
> for <stdint.h> using autoconf's AC_CHECK_HEADERS, it will tell you that
> the file exists?

It does -- since SGI chose to make #error just a warning, autoconf
doesn't notice it.

> Hmm, is it nevertheless safe to leave this file aside
> and do as you propose?
> 
>  #if @HAVE_STDINT_H@
>    /* Other systems may have an incomplete <stdint.h>.  */
> -# include @FULL_PATH_STDINT_H@
> +# if !defined(__sgi) || address@hidden@
> +#  include @FULL_PATH_STDINT_H@
> +# endif
>  #endif

It is.  On SGI, once <inttypes.h> has been included, there's nothing to
be gained by including <stdint.h> as well.  (The "|| address@hidden@"
is probably specious since <inttypes.h> predates <stdint.h> on SGI.)

> "<inttypes.h> is supposed to include# <stdint.h>", but the reality is
> different. <inttypes.h> was introduced several years earlier than
> <stdint.h>.

But <stdint.h> was created by extracting the language-related stuff from
<inttypes.h> and requiring <inttypes.h> to include <stdint.h> so that
existing code would continue to get everything without having to include
an additional header.  Given that history, I would be very surprised to
find a system where there's any benefit at all to including <stdint.h>
along with <inttypes.h>.  If anyone knows of one, please speak up.

-Larry Jones

Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere
in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us. -- Calvin