Re: #define BYTES *8

From	Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
Subject	Re: #define BYTES *8
Date	2012-08-28 14:42 -0700
Organization	None to speak of
Message-ID	<ln1uiqzoae.fsf@nuthaus.mib.org> (permalink)
References	<k1hssn$c4o$1@reader1.panix.com> <k1iiib$jqi$1@dont-email.me> <1346170970.561767@rcdn-nntpcache-2>

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"Scott Fluhrer" <sfluhrer@ix.netcom.com> writes:
> "James Kuyper" <jameskuyper@verizon.net> wrote in message 
> news:k1iiib$jqi$1@dont-email.me...
>> On 08/28/2012 03:44 AM, JohnF wrote:
>>>  #define BYTES *8
>>
>> However, there's another issue
>> as well, even if we accept the the way you want to use this macro, it's
>> defined wrong. It should, for the sake of portability, be
>>
>> #include <limits.h>
>> #define BYTES *CHAR_BIT
>
> Whether this last part is good advice depends on what the original 
> programmer is trying to do.  If he really does mean 'the number of bits in 
> the platform-dependent char type', then yes, this works well.  However, if 
> he mearns 'the number of bits within a platform-independent octet' (for 
> example, what's actually transmitted over TCP), this is less good.
>
> Remember, the meaning that C assigns to the word 'byte' isn't the only 
> meaning that word can have.

Then calling it OCTETS rather than BYTES would improve clarity.

-- 
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) kst-u@mib.org  <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
    Will write code for food.
"We must do something.  This is something.  Therefore, we must do this."
    -- Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, "Yes Minister"

Thread

#define BYTES *8 JohnF <john@please.see.sig.for.email.com> - 2012-08-28 07:44 +0000
  Re: #define BYTES *8 Mark Bluemel <mark_bluemel@pobox.com> - 2012-08-28 09:07 +0100
  Re: #define BYTES *8 Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-08-28 01:38 -0700
    Re: #define BYTES *8 JohnF <john@please.see.sig.for.email.com> - 2012-08-28 09:21 +0000
      Re: #define BYTES *8 "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-08-28 12:34 +0100
        Re: #define BYTES *8 JohnF <john@please.see.sig.for.email.com> - 2012-08-28 12:23 +0000
    Re: #define BYTES *8 Kenneth Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2012-08-29 11:10 -0400
      Re: #define BYTES *8 Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2012-08-29 11:36 -0400
        Re: #define BYTES *8 Adrian Ratnapala <raka@scooter.fritz.box> - 2012-08-30 04:01 +0000
        Re: #define BYTES *8 Kenneth Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2012-08-30 19:08 -0400
          <OT> Re: #define BYTES *8 Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2012-08-30 21:30 -0400
            Re: <OT> Re: #define BYTES *8 Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-08-31 02:49 +0100
              Re: <OT> Re: #define BYTES *8 JohnF <john@please.see.sig.for.email.com> - 2012-08-31 08:32 +0000
                Re: <OT> Re: #define BYTES *8 88888 Dihedral <dihedral88888@googlemail.com> - 2012-08-31 03:55 -0700
              Re: <OT> Re: #define BYTES *8 "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-08-31 10:58 +0100
                Re: <OT> Re: #define BYTES *8 Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-08-31 11:53 +0100
                Re: <OT> Re: #define BYTES *8 "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-08-31 12:39 +0100
                Re: <OT> Re: #define BYTES *8 Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-08-31 15:35 +0100
                Re: <OT> Re: #define BYTES *8 "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-08-31 19:15 +0100
                Re: <OT> Re: #define BYTES *8 Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2012-08-31 14:39 -0400
            Re: <OT> Re: #define BYTES *8 Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2012-09-06 15:14 +0300
  Re: #define BYTES *8 "Scott Fluhrer" <sfluhrer@ix.netcom.com> - 2012-08-28 12:24 -0400
    Re: #define BYTES *8 "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-08-28 17:44 +0100
    Re: #define BYTES *8 Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-08-28 14:42 -0700
  Re: #define BYTES *8 pete <pfiland@mindspring.com> - 2012-08-28 23:47 -0400
  Re: #define BYTES *8 Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2012-08-29 22:20 -0600
  Re: #define BYTES *8 John Bode <jfbode1029@gmail.com> - 2012-09-06 15:32 -0700
    Re: #define BYTES *8 pete <pfiland@mindspring.com> - 2012-09-06 20:58 -0400
      Re: #define BYTES *8 Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2012-09-06 21:13 -0400
      Re: #define BYTES *8 Öö Tiib <ootiib@hot.ee> - 2012-09-07 03:00 -0700
        Re: #define BYTES *8 pete <pfiland@mindspring.com> - 2012-09-08 10:00 -0400
    Re: #define BYTES *8 "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-09-07 02:22 +0100
      Re: #define BYTES *8 John Bode <jfbode1029@gmail.com> - 2012-09-07 05:55 -0700
  Re: #define BYTES *8 Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-09-07 14:20 -0700

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