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Date:      Wed, 30 Jan 2002 14:14:27 -0800
From:      Peter Wemm <peter@wemm.org>
To:        Garance A Drosihn <drosih@rpi.edu>
Cc:        Alfred Perlstein <bright@mu.org>, Poul-Henning Kamp <phk@critter.freebsd.dk>, Terry Lambert <tlambert2@mindspring.com>, Jordan Hubbard <jkh@winston.freebsd.org>, Dallas De Atley <deatley@apple.com>, arch@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: __P macro question 
Message-ID:  <20020130221427.522493A9A@overcee.wemm.org>
In-Reply-To: <p0510121ab87e0a53ed73@[128.113.24.47]> 

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Garance A Drosihn wrote:
> At 11:26 AM -0800 1/30/02, Alfred Perlstein wrote:
> >Removing the __P causes these specific problems:
> >
> >1) repo bloat.
> 
> In the past, we have generated "repo-bloat" just to remove unneeded
> blanks at the end of lines.  If we survived it for that, we can
> survive it for removing __P()'s.  We're constantly doing style fixes
> which "bloat" the repo.

With my CVS hat on, I am more than happy to say "this is worth it".

> >2) incompatible deltas with other BSDs and older versions of BSD.
> 
> Note that this is less true than it used to be.  For instance, a recent
> contribution sent to freebsd-standards said:
> 
>     This patch adds the -b and -s options to 'fold'. It's mostly
>     taken from NetBSD but I've hopefully kept it compile-able by
>     K&R compilers.
> 
> In other words, here's someone who is taking code *from* NetBSD,
> and *adding* __P()'s to it.  Why does he have to add them?  Because
> more than 16 months ago, NetBSD applied an update to 'fold' where
> the commit message was:
> (and I quote)
>               Un-__P and ANSIfy.

Yes, NetBSD are actively removing __P() as well.

> So, while it used to be that there was an advantage in keeping __P()'s
> so we would remain the same as some other BSD, we now have some new
> developers who think they should *add* __P()'s to become *incompatible*
> with another BSD.  Clearly we're sending the wrong signal to people who
> are trying to contribute to FreeBSD.  Time has moved on.

I think if we bite the bullet and do it, it may help act as a catalyst to
the other BSD's to do likewise.  I believe they have this same argument
every 6 months as well and must be about as sick of it as we are.

And as a bonus, if this upsets Terry, then that is all the more reason to
do it! :-).

Death to __P() !

Cheers,
-Peter
--
Peter Wemm - peter@FreeBSD.org; peter@yahoo-inc.com; peter@netplex.com.au
"All of this is for nothing if we don't go to the stars" - JMS/B5


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