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From: Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Are designated initializer supposed to zero padding?
Date: Mon, 11 May 2026 18:23:41 -0700
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scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) writes:

> Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> writes:
>
>> highcrew <high.crew3868@fastmail.com> writes:
>>
>>> Hello,
>>>
>
>>
>> Point 3:  if you want to initialize and zero a struct, along with
>> elements of a non-trivial flexible array member, probably the best
>> way to do that is as part of a union with an array of unsigned char,
>> for example as follows:
>>
>>   union {
>>      unsigned char uca[ SUITABLE_SIZE ];
>>      struct array fam;
>>   } blah = { .uca = { 0 } };
>>
>>   struct array *stuff = &blah.fam;
>
> Or use memset(3) with the appropriate length.

Part of the motivation of using a declarative and functional
formulation is being able to use it in an expressional,
rather than imperative, context.  The code shown above can
be used at file scope, which precludes the use of memset().