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Date:      Sun, 16 Mar 2008 13:17:16 +0000 (GMT)
From:      Robert Watson <rwatson@FreeBSD.org>
To:        Mark Linimon <linimon@lonesome.com>
Cc:        freebsd-bugs@FreeBSD.org
Subject:   Re: bin/71613: [PATCH] traceroute(8): cleanup of the	usr.sbin/traceroute6 code
Message-ID:  <20080316131652.E83063@fledge.watson.org>
In-Reply-To: <200803160750.m2G7o21t025830@freefall.freebsd.org>
References:  <200803160750.m2G7o21t025830@freefall.freebsd.org>

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Mark,

Normally I expect to see these e-mails coming from bugmaster as opposed to 
you... :-)

Robert N M Watson
Computer Laboratory
University of Cambridge

On Sun, 16 Mar 2008, Mark Linimon wrote:

> The following reply was made to PR bin/71613; it has been noted by GNATS.
>
> From: linimon@lonesome.com (Mark Linimon)
> To: bug-followup@FreeBSD.org
> Cc:
> Subject: Re: bin/71613: [PATCH] traceroute(8): cleanup of the usr.sbin/traceroute6 code
> Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 02:42:13 -0500
>
> ----- Forwarded message from Bruce Evans <brde@optusnet.com.au> -----
>
> From: Bruce Evans <brde@optusnet.com.au>
> To: Dan Lukes <dan@obluda.cz>
> Cc: freebsd-bugs@freebsd.org
>
> __COPYRIGHT() in <sys/cdefs.h> reduces this problem by concatenating
> __LINE__.  It could also concatenate a file name (but not __FILE__, since
> that is probably not an identifier).
>
> >	It seems we need 'static'. Unfortunately, static unused variable can
> >be optimized out.
> >
> >	Adding 'const' and/or __used clear the warning, but doesn't prevent
> >"optimized-out" problem. The 'const' shall be used because the string is
> >constant. We can use __used, but it has limited portability.
> >
> >	We still have the problem the variable may be optimized out.
>
> __used prevents this.
>
> >	The 'volatile' is way to tell an ANSI C compiler "this variable may
> >be modified via mechanism you don't know about it" - it mean "count it as
> >used" and "don't optimize it". Note, the 'const' and 'static' are ANSI C
> >keywords also, so compiler knowing 'static' shall handle 'volatile' as well.
>
> volatile doesn't prevent the variable being optimized out for gcc-4.2.
> This makes some sense -- volatile sort of means "use it carefully", but
> when it is not used no care with it is needed.
>
> >	Conclusion (for the case we can't guarantee the unique name of
> >variable):
> >static   MUST
> >const    SHALL
> >__used   SHALL
> >volatile MUST
> >
> >So my recomentation is:
> >0: static volatile const char __used copyright[]=...
> >
> >because of __unused the sys/cdefs.h must be included first.
>
> I prefer 'static char const __used copyright[]'.  Not sure where __used
> belongs.
>
> >The other way to fix it is
> >1: the sys/copyright.h way - e.g. plain char variable - but the variable
> >must be unique across the sources which sound not so easy for me
>
> Not too bad -- there is supposed to be only one copyright[] per executable.
>
> >2. the __COPYRIGHT way, but
> >2a: IDSTRING must be corrected first
> >2b: the '\n' must be removed from the source.
> >
> >sys/cdefs.h must be included first.
> >
> >	In my opinion the preference shall be 2a then 0 then 1 or 2b but
> >	it's not strict. The commiter shall select the best way.
>
> 2b is no good.
>
> __COPYRIGHT() of course allows putting all the unportabilities in one
> place and changing the easily.  It's just too ugly for me.  Everything in
> <sys/cdefs.h> should have gone away with __P(()).
>
> Bruce
>
> ----- End forwarded message -----
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