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| From | Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> |
|---|---|
| Newsgroups | comp.lang.c |
| Subject | Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function |
| Date | 2011-10-28 15:35 -0700 |
| Organization | None to speak of |
| Message-ID | <lnhb2slp7p.fsf@nuthaus.mib.org> (permalink) |
| References | <14abde31-4573-45e7-bdaf-eb70b22741d7@z28g2000pro.googlegroups.com> <j8f16r$pgt$1@reader1.panix.com> <j8f2fn$vhu$1@dont-email.me> |
"BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> writes:
> "John Gordon" <gordon@panix.com> wrote in message
> news:j8f16r$pgt$1@reader1.panix.com...
[...]
>> memcpy is doing you a favor by alerting you to a problem: the data did
>> not get copied.
Though it's not required to do so. The behavior is undefined; a seg
fault is not required.
> When you use a function such as memcpy, you often have to check that each
> operand is in fact not null:
>
> if (A && B && N) memcpy(A, B, N);
>
> when A, B, N are themselves arguments to your code, for example. Wouldn't it
> be a lot easier to just write:
>
> memcpy(A, B, N);
>
> and know that no copying is done when any argument is null or zero? Having a
> null source or destination is not necessarily an error (and if it is, you
> check it conventionally).
One could make exactly the same argument for a simple assignment
(without the N, of course). Perhaps it would be simpler to be able to
write:
*A = *B;
and have it quietly do nothing if either A or B is a null pointer. But
as others have said in parallel followups, when you're writing a
statement that copies data, you should generally have enough awareness
of the context to *know* that there's actually something to be copied.
Do you actually find yourself making such checks in your own code?
There are a nearly unlimited number of ways you can call memcpy()
incorrectly. You can try to copy too few or too many bytes. You can
pass invalid non-null pointers. You can reverse the first and second
arguments. You can pass perfectly valid pointers that just don't happen
to point to the objects you really wanted to copy.
The question is, would it really be worthwhile for memcpy() to detect
just a few kinds of errors (when other equally serious errors are
undetectable)?
How often would having memcpy() check for null pointers make it easier
to write correct code *in practice*?
[...]
--
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) kst-u@mib.org <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
"We must do something. This is something. Therefore, we must do this."
-- Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, "Yes Minister"
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about NULL as a parameter to a libc function gaoqiang <gaoqiangscut@gmail.com> - 2011-10-28 01:49 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Mark Bluemel <mark_bluemel@pobox.com> - 2011-10-28 10:14 +0100
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function gaoqiang <gaoqiangscut@gmail.com> - 2011-10-28 03:22 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Mark Bluemel <mark_bluemel@pobox.com> - 2011-10-28 11:29 +0100
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2011-10-29 07:08 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-28 07:05 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-28 14:15 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function gordonb.4o15x@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) - 2011-10-28 16:36 -0500
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2011-10-28 17:30 -0500
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function jgharston <jgh@arcade.demon.co.uk> - 2011-10-31 10:40 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-10-28 22:32 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Nick Keighley <nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com> - 2011-10-29 06:20 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-10-29 15:40 +0100
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Nick Keighley <nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com> - 2011-10-30 08:05 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-28 14:13 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-10-29 15:11 +0300
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Nick Keighley <nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com> - 2011-10-29 06:41 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-29 11:29 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2011-10-28 02:36 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Mike Manilone <mike@laptop.mike> - 2011-10-28 12:58 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-28 11:00 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Kenneth Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2011-11-03 11:13 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Nick Keighley <nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com> - 2011-10-29 06:37 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Kenneth Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2011-11-03 11:00 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-03 12:54 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-03 17:08 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-03 13:18 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-03 17:28 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-03 13:48 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-03 17:55 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-03 14:12 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function blp@cs.stanford.edu (Ben Pfaff) - 2011-11-03 11:22 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-03 14:28 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-03 19:47 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-03 16:19 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 22:13 -0800
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Ike Naar <ike@sverige.freeshell.org> - 2011-11-03 18:20 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Ike Naar <ike@sverige.freeshell.org> - 2011-11-03 18:34 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-03 19:49 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-03 16:21 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2011-11-03 22:19 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 22:17 -0800
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 21:19 -0800
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2011-10-28 14:26 +0100
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2011-10-28 12:46 -0600
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-28 14:19 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-28 16:37 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-28 07:22 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Kenneth Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2011-11-03 10:40 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-03 15:10 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2011-11-04 03:03 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-10-28 08:42 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-10-28 16:31 +0200
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-10-28 20:29 +0100
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-10-29 14:49 +0300
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Ike Naar <ike@sverige.freeshell.org> - 2011-10-29 13:41 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function John Gordon <gordon@panix.com> - 2011-10-28 19:53 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-10-28 21:13 +0100
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function John Gordon <gordon@panix.com> - 2011-10-28 20:33 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-28 16:56 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function blp@cs.stanford.edu (Ben Pfaff) - 2011-10-28 14:30 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-28 16:45 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-28 15:35 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-10-29 13:00 +0100
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-29 11:26 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-10-29 20:24 +0100
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-29 14:03 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Nick Keighley <nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com> - 2011-10-29 07:30 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Kenneth Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2011-11-03 11:26 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-03 12:59 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-03 13:42 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-10-28 20:17 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Richard Damon <news.x.richarddamon@xoxy.net> - 2011-10-28 18:51 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-10-28 21:40 +0100
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-28 17:09 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-10-29 15:03 +0300
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-29 09:42 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-10-28 21:18 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2011-10-28 23:30 +0100
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-28 15:37 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-10-28 23:47 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-28 17:13 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2011-10-29 04:31 +0100
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-10-29 05:42 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-10-30 17:22 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Patrick Scheible <kkt@zipcon.net> - 2011-10-30 23:43 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2011-10-31 05:31 -0500
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-10-31 12:42 +0200
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2011-10-31 13:11 -0500
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-10-31 17:18 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Nick Keighley <nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com> - 2011-10-29 07:32 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-10-28 23:41 +0200
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-10-28 22:42 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-10-29 10:09 +0200
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-10-29 10:11 +0100
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Angel <angel+news@spamcop.net> - 2011-10-29 09:42 +0000
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-10-29 16:17 +0200
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Nick Keighley <nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com> - 2011-10-29 07:39 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-10-29 19:29 +0200
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-10-29 20:25 +0200
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Nick Keighley <nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com> - 2011-10-30 08:14 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function ImpalerCore <jadill33@gmail.com> - 2011-10-31 18:30 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 18:21 -0800
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Kenneth Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2011-11-03 11:31 -0400
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-03 13:45 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function Jonathan Leffler <jleffler@earthlink.net> - 2011-10-29 23:41 -0700
Re: about NULL as a parameter to a libc function James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-30 07:13 -0400
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