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Date:      Tue, 22 Oct 1996 18:12:44 +1000 (EST)
From:      "Daniel O'Callaghan" <danny@panda.hilink.com.au>
To:        freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org
Subject:   libc string routines don't check for NULL pointers
Message-ID:  <Pine.BSF.3.91.961022180422.548J-100000@panda.hilink.com.au>

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The string comparison (and other) routines in libc don't check for null 
pointers being passed.  This results in SEGVs if one or both of the 
string pointers being passed is NULL.  I can see a religious debate here, 
but I'm going to raise the issue:  Should str*cmp() handle NULL arguments.

I have made the very simple change necessary to strcmp() for it to return

	0 - strings are the same, or pointers are both NULL
	< 0 - s1 < s2, or s1 == NULL
	> 0 - s1 > s2 or s2 == NULL

I'd like to see my changes made to libc, but what do others think - 
should it be just "the programmer's stupid fault" if (s)he passes a NULL 
pointer to these routines, or should the routines handle NULL?

Danny



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