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From: Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: gcc and 'include'
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2026 19:08:16 -0700
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Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> writes:

> On Thu, 26 Mar 2026 22:36:59 +0000
> Bart <bc@freeuk.com> wrote:
>
>> Take this program:
>>
>>    #include <stdlib.h>
>>
>>    inline int F(){return rand();}
>>
>>    int main(void) {
>>        return F();
>>    }
>>
>> This compiles fine with gcc using -O1 -O2 -O3.
>>
>> But compile without optimising, and it fails to link as it can't find
>> a function 'F'.
>>
>> Is it supposed to behave like that?  I assume no discrete function F
>> is being generated because of the 'inline' attribute, but you'd think
>> it would ignore that if inlining wasn't enabled.
>>
>> [...]
>
> Sounds like a bug introduced during transition to c99/gnu99
> front end.
> With gcc4.x,  which defaults to gnu89 it still works.
> Also works with the latest gcc -std=gnu89
> But there is no hope that gcc maintaines will ever admit that it is a
> bug.

It isn't a bug.  The C standard allows this behavior.