Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide

From	Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
Subject	Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide
Date	2020-08-16 10:50 -0700
Organization	None to speak of
Message-ID	<87wo1yeazq.fsf@nosuchdomain.example.com> (permalink)
References	(11 earlier) <GRCZG.121967$TO4.71714@fx05.iad> <rh77um$5qk$1@dont-email.me> <ec3512a0-fabf-4291-85de-611ca70104b0o@googlegroups.com> <88804d79-6f6f-427a-ae42-33fb0d07dd9ao@googlegroups.com> <Bta_G.50563$5l1.20045@fx10.iad>

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Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> writes:
[...]
> Again, the want to remove the cast comes from C90 mindsets, and poorly
> segmented code. Starting with C99, best practices was to try to
> initialize things as soon as they were created, and initialization is
> the most type sensitive part of a program, so it is best if the type was
> mentioned in that section of code.

Yes, one of the reasons to prefer the castless version became (somewhat)
obsolete with C99's removal of implicit int.

> Again, what HARM does the cast impose (particularly if hidden behind a
> well named macro that avoids the repetition.)

My main objection to using a cast is conceptual.  A pointer cast
in C is too unrestrained.  I can be used to (try to) reinterpret
memory of some time as if it were of a completely different type,
perhaps with arbitrary bad results.  The fact that the same syntax
is used for a harmless and save conversion means that when I see a
cast, particularly a pointer cast, I have to convince myself that
it's safe.

And in this case it's simply unnecessary.

    int *p = (void*)malloc(sizeof (int));
    uint32_t n = (uint32_t)42;

Both casts are equally "safe" -- and equally unnecessary.  And I find
the code simpler and easier to read without them.

-- 
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com
Working, but not speaking, for Philips Healthcare
void Void(void) { Void(); } /* The recursive call of the void */

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"Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> - 2020-08-12 13:54 -0500
  Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2020-08-12 12:23 -0700
    Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Elijah Stone <elronnd@elronnd.net> - 2020-08-12 15:05 -0700
      Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2020-08-12 19:15 -0400
        Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Philipp Klaus Krause <pkk@spth.de> - 2020-08-13 10:36 +0200
          Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Poprocks <please@replytogroup.com> - 2020-08-13 14:23 +0000
            What do when -Werror gets in your way (Was: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes") by JeanHeyd Meneide gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2020-08-13 14:49 +0000
        Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Elijah Stone <elronnd@elronnd.net> - 2020-08-13 23:25 -0700
      Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide John Forkosh <forkosh@panix.com> - 2020-08-13 01:15 +0000
        Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2020-08-12 18:42 -0700
          Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide John Forkosh <forkosh@panix.com> - 2020-08-13 06:15 +0000
            Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2020-08-12 23:23 -0700
              Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide John Forkosh <forkosh@panix.com> - 2020-08-13 06:44 +0000
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Poprocks <please@replytogroup.com> - 2020-08-15 22:51 +0000
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2020-08-15 19:41 -0400
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-08-16 02:02 +0100
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide John Forkosh <forkosh@panix.com> - 2020-08-16 05:47 +0000
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-08-16 12:03 +0100
                Kinda by definition... (Was: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide) gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2020-08-16 11:49 +0000
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-08-16 05:33 -0700
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide John Forkosh <forkosh@panix.com> - 2020-08-17 06:27 +0000
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2020-08-16 09:12 -0400
              Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2020-08-13 07:38 -0400
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-08-13 09:33 -0400
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2020-08-14 10:50 -0400
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-08-14 12:39 -0400
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2020-08-14 16:53 -0400
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-08-14 19:49 -0400
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2020-08-15 02:31 -0700
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-08-15 16:10 -0700
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2020-08-16 09:25 -0400
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2020-08-16 10:50 -0700
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-08-16 15:40 -0400
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2020-08-16 19:39 -0400
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-08-16 21:12 -0400
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Richard Harnden <richard.nospam@gmail.com> - 2020-08-18 08:47 +0100
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-08-18 08:26 -0400
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-08-28 08:10 -0700
              Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2020-08-13 12:48 +0000
            Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide John Bode <jfbode1029@gmail.com> - 2020-08-13 09:46 -0700
      Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2020-08-13 06:14 +0000
    Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2020-08-13 01:19 +0300
      Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2020-08-12 16:18 -0700
    Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Scott Newman <scott69@gmail.com> - 2020-08-13 09:25 +0200
      Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2020-08-13 00:41 -0700
        Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Scott Newman <scott69@gmail.com> - 2020-08-13 12:53 +0200
          Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Richard Harnden <richard.nospam@gmail.com> - 2020-08-13 12:52 +0100
            Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-08-13 15:17 +0200
          Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2020-08-13 10:38 -0700
            Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Scott Newman <scott69@gmail.com> - 2020-08-13 19:44 +0200
              Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2020-08-13 19:10 +0100
              Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2020-08-13 11:42 -0700
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2020-08-14 05:56 +0000
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Bonita Montero <Bonita.Montero@gmail.com> - 2020-08-14 09:14 +0200
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-08-14 08:45 -0400
                Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2020-08-14 16:51 +0000
            Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2020-08-15 09:11 +1200
    Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-08-24 16:58 -0700
  Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Philipp Klaus Krause <pkk@spth.de> - 2020-08-13 10:32 +0200
    Re: "Why the C Language Will Never Stop You from Making Mistakes" by JeanHeyd Meneide Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-08-23 07:04 -0700

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