Re: initialization of local static variable

From	Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com>
Subject	Re: initialization of local static variable
Date	2011-10-09 05:35 +0100
Message-Id	<pan.2011.10.09.04.35.30.760000@nowhere.com>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
References	(5 earlier) <9f8lokFi5lU1@mid.uni-berlin.de> <0.5bf60c50a20af830bcc4.20111007202925BST.87zkhcwqga.fsf@bsb.me.uk> <j6nkfh$3tt$1@speranza.aioe.org> <pan.2011.10.08.14.36.26.117000@nowhere.com> <0.53620716d31f4493ddf5.20111008220600BST.87obxrtcqv.fsf@bsb.me.uk>
Organization	Zen Internet

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On Sat, 08 Oct 2011 22:06:00 +0100, Ben Bacarisse wrote:

>>> Besides the obvious (the standard doesn't like it) is there
>>> any reason not to do it?
>>
>> Because it should report an error. The programmer is trying to do
>> something that isn't meaningful; the compiler should ideally try to warn
>> them, rather than (metaphorically) sniggering to itself, opening the
>> popcorn, and watching the programmer try to figure it out on their
>> own.
> 
> What's no meaningful about it?  I agree that the actual meaning that
> Jacob has chosen is odd (and I think, in retrospect, he does too) but
> the idea of permitting new ways to initialise a static object is not, to
> me, inherently meaningless.

An initialisation is not an assignment. An initialisation sets the *initial*
value of the object at the point that it comes into existence. For a
static object, that point is program start, before main() is entered. At
that point, no automatic variables exist, so initialising a static object
from an automatic variable is meaningless.

An assignment sets the value of the object at the point that the
assignment statement was executed. But an initialisation isn't a
statement, and isn't "executed". For automatic variables, the distinction
is largely academic, but it's quite significant for static variables.

Sure, you can create a language where this is meaningful, but such a
language differs from C in a rather fundamental way.

Thread

initialization of local static variable "V.Subramanian, India" <subramanian100in@yahoo.com> - 2011-10-06 23:33 -0700
  Re: initialization of local static variable pete <pfiland@mindspring.com> - 2011-10-07 02:51 -0400
  Re: initialization of local static variable "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-10-07 10:44 +0100
  Re: initialization of local static variable China Blue Corn Chips <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2011-10-07 03:03 -0700
    Re: initialization of local static variable "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-10-07 11:33 +0100
      Re: initialization of local static variable jt@toerring.de (Jens Thoms Toerring) - 2011-10-07 11:11 +0000
        Re: initialization of local static variable "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-10-07 12:51 +0100
          Re: initialization of local static variable jt@toerring.de (Jens Thoms Toerring) - 2011-10-07 15:56 +0000
            Re: initialization of local static variable Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2011-10-07 20:29 +0100
              Re: initialization of local static variable jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-10-07 21:38 +0200
                Re: initialization of local static variable Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2011-10-07 21:16 +0100
                Re: initialization of local static variable jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-10-07 22:22 +0200
                Re: initialization of local static variable jt@toerring.de (Jens Thoms Toerring) - 2011-10-07 22:25 +0000
                Re: initialization of local static variable jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-10-08 00:40 +0200
                Re: initialization of local static variable Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-10-08 11:56 +1300
                Re: initialization of local static variable jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-10-08 01:53 +0200
                Re: initialization of local static variable Jens Gustedt <jens.gustedt@loria.fr> - 2011-10-09 23:04 +0200
                Re: initialization of local static variable Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2011-10-10 11:54 -0500
                Re: initialization of local static variable Ike Naar <ike@sverige.freeshell.org> - 2011-10-10 17:41 +0000
                Re: initialization of local static variable Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2011-10-10 17:35 -0500
                Re: initialization of local static variable jt@toerring.de (Jens Thoms Toerring) - 2011-10-08 00:02 +0000
                Re: initialization of local static variable "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-10-08 01:26 +0100
                Re: initialization of local static variable "Philip Lantz" <prl@canterey.us> - 2011-10-08 03:01 -0700
                Re: initialization of local static variable "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-10-07 21:42 +0100
                Re: initialization of local static variable China Blue Corn Chips <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2011-10-07 16:25 -0700
                Re: initialization of local static variable jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-10-08 01:51 +0200
                Re: initialization of local static variable China Blue Corn Chips <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2011-10-07 18:21 -0700
                Re: initialization of local static variable Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-10-08 15:36 +0100
                Re: initialization of local static variable Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2011-10-08 22:06 +0100
                Re: initialization of local static variable Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-10-09 05:35 +0100
                Re: initialization of local static variable Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2011-10-09 09:25 +0100
                Re: initialization of local static variable "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-10-09 11:00 +0200
                Re: initialization of local static variable Barry Schwarz <schwarzb@dqel.com> - 2011-10-09 10:56 -0700
                Re: initialization of local static variable James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-09 14:30 -0400
                Re: initialization of local static variable Barry Schwarz <schwarzb@dqel.com> - 2011-10-09 21:43 -0700
                Re: initialization of local static variable "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-10-10 19:08 +0200
                Re: initialization of local static variable Geoff <geoff@invalid.invalid> - 2011-10-10 16:16 -0700
                Re: initialization of local static variable Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2011-10-10 23:22 +0000
                Re: initialization of local static variable James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-10 20:40 -0400
                Re: initialization of local static variable Barry Schwarz <schwarzb@dqel.com> - 2011-10-10 20:54 -0700
                Re: initialization of local static variable "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-10-11 18:45 +0200
                Re: initialization of local static variable "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-10-11 18:51 +0200
                Re: initialization of local static variable Barry Schwarz <schwarzb@dqel.com> - 2011-10-11 18:52 -0700
                Re: initialization of local static variable "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-10-12 08:49 +0200
                Re: initialization of local static variable "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-10-11 19:48 +0200
                Re: initialization of local static variable Barry Schwarz <schwarzb@dqel.com> - 2011-10-11 21:25 -0700
                Re: initialization of local static variable "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-10-12 08:48 +0200
                Re: initialization of local static variable "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-10-12 08:54 +0200
                Re: initialization of local static variable pete <pfiland@mindspring.com> - 2011-10-12 20:55 -0400
                Re: initialization of local static variable Barry Schwarz <schwarzb@dqel.com> - 2011-10-11 18:52 -0700
                Re: initialization of local static variable "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-10-11 19:55 +0200
                Re: initialization of local static variable Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-11 11:24 -0700
                Re: initialization of local static variable Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-11 12:47 -0700
                Re: initialization of local static variable "io_x" <a@b.c.invalid> - 2011-10-12 08:49 +0200
            Re: initialization of local static variable Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 16:09 -0800
          Re: initialization of local static variable China Blue Corn Chips <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2011-10-07 16:06 -0700
            Re: initialization of local static variable Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-10-12 22:25 +0000
              Re: initialization of local static variable "christian.bau" <christian.bau@cbau.wanadoo.co.uk> - 2011-10-13 07:09 -0700
                Re: initialization of local static variable Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-10-17 17:21 +0000
              Re: initialization of local static variable Joe Wright <joewwright@comcast.net> - 2011-10-14 14:27 -0400
          Re: initialization of local static variable Richard Damon <news.x.richarddamon@xoxy.net> - 2011-10-08 00:03 -0400
            Re: initialization of local static variable China Blue Corn Chips <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2011-10-08 01:27 -0700
          Re: initialization of local static variable Richard Damon <news.x.richarddamon@xoxy.net> - 2011-10-08 00:08 -0400

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