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Re: Array sizes and const

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On 06/ 3/12 08:43 AM, Les Cargill wrote:
>
> I am using Mingw 3.4.5 on a 'Doze box, but it pretty much
> follows any Gnu compiler I've run into.
>
> Why is this:
>
> ---------------------------
> #define SIZE 20
> const int size = SIZE;
> char array[SIZE];
> ---------------------------
>
> legal, yet
>
> ---------------------------
> #define SIZE 20
> const int size = SIZE;
> char array[size];
> ---------------------------
>
> not?

Because const is broken in C.

> The int size is invariant, and ... "morally"
> equivalent to using SIZE, yet it won't let me do that.
>
> And yes, I understand/speak/grok preprocessor vs.
> compiler. I know *how*, I just wonder *why*. Is
> this a practical, strategic or tactical thing,
> or am I just being silly? Was it a conscious decision
> of the committee, or just one of those things?

My guess would be an oversight in the original standard.  It's 
unfortunate that two opportunities to correct it have now been missed.

-- 
Ian Collins

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Array sizes and const Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2012-06-02 15:43 -0500
  Re: Array sizes and const Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-06-03 08:56 +1200
  Re: Array sizes and const Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2012-06-02 16:59 -0400
    Re: Array sizes and const Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2012-06-02 16:35 -0500
      Re: Array sizes and const jgk@panix.com (Joe keane) - 2012-06-08 20:05 +0000
      Re: Array sizes and const jgk@panix.com (Joe keane) - 2012-06-09 21:36 +0000
    Re: Array sizes and const Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2012-06-02 16:43 -0500
  Re: Array sizes and const Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-06-02 14:59 -0700
    Re: Array sizes and const Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2012-06-02 17:12 -0500
      Re: Array sizes and const Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-06-02 18:27 -0700
        Re: Array sizes and const Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2012-06-02 22:27 -0500
      Re: Array sizes and const "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-06-03 11:24 +0100
        Re: Array sizes and const Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-06-03 13:51 -0700
          Re: Array sizes and const "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-06-04 12:20 +0100
            Re: Array sizes and const Jens Gustedt <jens.gustedt@loria.fr> - 2012-06-04 13:54 +0200
            Re: Array sizes and const Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-06-04 14:32 -0700
  Re: Array sizes and const Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2012-06-02 23:50 +0100
    Re: Array sizes and const Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-06-03 10:53 +1200
      Re: Array sizes and const Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2012-06-03 14:35 +0100
    Re: Array sizes and const James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2012-06-02 21:11 -0400
      Re: Array sizes and const Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-06-03 07:39 -0700
        Re: Array sizes and const James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2012-06-03 16:03 -0400
        Re: Array sizes and const Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-06-03 21:49 +0100
          Re: Array sizes and const Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-06-03 14:49 -0700
          Re: Array sizes and const Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-06-03 15:02 -0700
            Re: Array sizes and const Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-06-04 01:21 +0100
        Re: Array sizes and const Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-06-04 09:08 +1200
          Re: Array sizes and const Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-06-03 15:08 -0700
            Re: Array sizes and const Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-06-04 10:37 +1200
              Re: Array sizes and const "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-06-03 23:47 +0100
                Re: Array sizes and const Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-06-04 10:55 +1200
                Re: Array sizes and const Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-06-03 16:04 -0700
                Re: Array sizes and const Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-06-04 11:14 +1200
                Re: Array sizes and const "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-06-04 00:23 +0100
                Re: Array sizes and const Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-06-04 11:30 +1200
                Re: Array sizes and const "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-06-04 00:52 +0100
                Re: Array sizes and const Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-06-04 12:04 +1200
                Re: Array sizes and const Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-06-04 01:39 +0100
                Re: Array sizes and const Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-06-04 02:35 -0700
                Re: Array sizes and const Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-06-04 01:33 +0100
                Re: Array sizes and const Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-06-04 12:35 +1200
                Re: Array sizes and const pacman@kosh.dhis.org (Alan Curry) - 2012-06-04 21:28 +0000
        Re: Array sizes and const James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2012-06-04 12:08 -0400
        Re: Array sizes and const jgk@panix.com (Joe keane) - 2012-06-04 22:49 +0000
    Re: Array sizes and const David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2012-06-03 15:46 -0500
  Re: Array sizes and const Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-06-08 02:08 -0700
    Re: Array sizes and const Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2012-06-08 06:45 -0500
      Re: Array sizes and const Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-06-08 10:49 -0700
        Re: Array sizes and const Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2012-06-08 18:05 -0500
    Re: Array sizes and const Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-06-08 13:31 -0700
      Re: Array sizes and const Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-06-08 20:30 -0700

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