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Groups > comp.lang.c > #17159

Re: return -1 using size_t???

Message-ID <4F37049C.2FEC@mindspring.com> (permalink)
Date 2012-02-11 19:15 -0500
From pete <pfiland@mindspring.com>
Organization PF
Newsgroups comp.lang.c
Subject Re: return -1 using size_t???
References <8c1eef8c-2ba4-441e-aa86-36486b56a261@n12g2000yqb.googlegroups.com> <jh6hr1$alf$1@dont-email.me> <65729073-738d-4faf-9cbd-20e020532949@p7g2000yqk.googlegroups.com>

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Robert Hayes wrote:
> 
> On Feb 11, 2:07 pm, Eric Sosman <esos...@ieee-dot-org.invalid> wrote:
> > On 2/11/2012 2:21 PM, Robert wrote:
> > > I have read that size_t can hold an unsigned int.
> > > I have been playing
> > > with using size_t as a return value and I am not sure I should. 

> Thank you for the clear explanation.  I will not use a size_t to hold
> a negative number.

I *would* use ((size_t)-1) as a return value
to indicate an extraordinary condition,
*if* there was no possibility 
that that value might be returned otherwise.

The index of the last element 
of an array with ((size_t)-1) elements, is ((size_t)-2).
So, if a function was supposed to return the
index number of an array element,
a return value of ((size_t)-1) could be used
to indicate a problem.

-- 
pete

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Thread

return -1 using size_t??? Robert Hayes <rhyes80@gmail.com> - 2012-02-11 11:21 -0800
  Re: return -1 using size_t??? Shao Miller <sha0.miller@gmail.com> - 2012-02-11 15:00 -0500
    Re: return -1 using size_t??? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-02-11 23:24 +0000
  Re: return -1 using size_t??? Jeffrey R <joeff@nospam.com> - 2012-02-11 19:58 +0000
    Re: return -1 using size_t??? Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2012-02-11 15:11 -0500
  Re: return -1 using size_t??? Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2012-02-11 15:07 -0500
    Re: return -1 using size_t??? Robert Hayes <rhyes80@gmail.com> - 2012-02-11 12:42 -0800
      Re: return -1 using size_t??? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-02-11 13:19 -0800
        Re: return -1 using size_t??? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-02-11 17:10 -0800
          Re: return -1 using size_t??? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2012-02-12 03:48 -0800
            Re: return -1 using size_t??? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-02-12 04:04 -0800
      Re: return -1 using size_t??? Jeffrey R <joeff@nospam.com> - 2012-02-11 22:25 +0000
        Re: return -1 using size_t??? Devil with the China Blue Dress <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2012-02-11 14:36 -0800
          Re: return -1 using size_t??? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-02-11 23:17 +0000
        Re: return -1 using size_t??? Jeroen Mostert <jmostert@xs4all.nl> - 2012-02-11 23:46 +0100
          Re: return -1 using size_t??? pete <pfiland@mindspring.com> - 2012-02-11 19:18 -0500
        Re: return -1 using size_t??? Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2012-02-12 08:38 -0500
      Re: return -1 using size_t??? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-02-11 23:32 +0000
      Re: return -1 using size_t??? pete <pfiland@mindspring.com> - 2012-02-11 19:15 -0500
    Re: return -1 using size_t??? Ralph Spitzner <rasp@spitzner.org> - 2012-02-13 13:51 +0100
  Re: return -1 using size_t??? Devil with the China Blue Dress <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2012-02-11 12:40 -0800
    Re: return -1 using size_t??? Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2012-02-11 17:02 -0500
      Re: return -1 using size_t??? Devil with the China Blue Dress <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2012-02-11 14:11 -0800
        Re: return -1 using size_t??? Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2012-02-11 17:21 -0500
          Re: return -1 using size_t??? Devil with the China Blue Dress <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2012-02-11 14:31 -0800
            Re: return -1 using size_t??? Willem <willem@toad.stack.nl> - 2012-02-11 22:52 +0000
            Re: return -1 using size_t??? Jens Gustedt <jens.gustedt@loria.fr> - 2012-02-12 00:20 +0100
              Re: return -1 using size_t??? Devil with the China Blue Dress <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2012-02-12 09:21 -0800
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-02-12 12:27 -0800
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Jeroen Mostert <jmostert@xs4all.nl> - 2012-02-12 22:17 +0100
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Devil with the China Blue Dress <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2012-02-12 15:10 -0800
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Nick Keighley <nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com> - 2012-02-13 03:11 -0800
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-02-12 23:25 +0000
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Jeroen Mostert <jmostert@xs4all.nl> - 2012-02-13 07:46 +0100
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Ike Naar <ike@sverige.freeshell.org> - 2012-02-13 10:27 +0000
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-02-13 12:36 +0000
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2012-02-13 10:26 -0700
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2012-02-14 00:18 +0000
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-02-14 00:29 +0000
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Devil with the China Blue Dress <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2012-02-13 16:37 -0800
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Angel <angel+news@spamcop.net> - 2012-02-13 11:47 +0000
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-02-13 12:54 +0000
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Angel <angel+news@spamcop.net> - 2012-02-13 14:30 +0000
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2012-02-22 01:53 +0200
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2012-02-13 12:11 -0500
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-02-13 17:28 +0000
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2012-02-13 13:08 -0500
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-02-13 23:06 +0000
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? William Ahern <william@wilbur.25thandClement.com> - 2012-02-13 14:39 -0800
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-02-13 14:59 -0800
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Jens Gustedt <jens.gustedt@loria.fr> - 2012-02-12 22:17 +0100
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Devil with the China Blue Dress <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2012-02-12 15:06 -0800
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2012-02-12 18:12 -0500
                Re: return -1 using size_t??? Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2012-02-22 02:15 +0200
  Re: return -1 using size_t??? Barry Schwarz <schwarzb@dqel.com> - 2012-02-11 14:27 -0800
    Re: return -1 using size_t??? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-02-11 17:34 -0800

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