Re: [PATCH] removal of "static foo = 0"

H. Peter Anvin
2000-11-26T21:18:35Z

Followup to: <E13ztNR-0001ew-00@the-village.bc.nu>
By author: Alan Cox <alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>
In newsgroup: linux.dev.kernel
>
> That isnt what Andries is arguing about. Read harder. Its semantic differences
> rather than code differences.
>
> static int a=0;
>
> says 'I thought about this. I want it to start at zero. I've written it this
> way to remind of the fact'
>
> Sure it generates the same code
>

The problem is that it doesn't. One could argue this is a gcc bug or
rather missed optimization.

One can, of course, also write:

static int a /* = 0 */;

... to make it clear to human programmers without making gcc make bad
code.

-hpa
--
<hpa@transmeta.com> at work, <hpa@zytor.com> in private!
"Unix gives you enough rope to shoot yourself in the foot."