[Info-vax] C99 updates to CRTL

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2019-07-27 20:45:09 +0000, Simon Clubley said:

> Arne, are you _trying_ to trigger Stephen ? :-)
> 
> It's bad enough using logicals to alter behaviour at runtime, but at 
> compile time as well ? :-)

There's already at least one logical name around that effects the 
compile-time behavior.

One existing logical name effects the compile-time resolution of the 
external references within the compiler.

Yes.  Really.

I'd prefer that C99—or whatever the latest standard supported by the 
compiler in use—be the default behavior for the compiler, and anybody 
that needs older behavior be required to modify their build 
environments accordingly.  Whether that's adding /STANDARD=C90, or 
adding to the forest of logical names that's already widely misused as 
a configuration mechanism, or whatever...   Or updating their code.  
The /STANDARD=VAXC K&R source code will undoubtedly live on in some 
realms, but at least the workaround is overtly flagged.

OpenVMS has long reversed this approach, unfortunately.  Making newer 
code and newer work more complex.  Which is absolutely the wrong 
direction for any platform that's intended to be around and updated.

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