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Groups > comp.lang.c > #10288

Re: Teaching C

From Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org>
Newsgroups comp.lang.c
Subject Re: Teaching C
Date 2011-09-15 11:58 -0700
Organization None to speak of
Message-ID <lnr53h8wev.fsf@nuthaus.mib.org> (permalink)
References (3 earlier) <lnpqj2amz7.fsf@nuthaus.mib.org> <j4r4in$pv2$1@speranza.aioe.org> <lnd3f2a6kl.fsf@nuthaus.mib.org> <87y5xqy0iv.fsf@blp.benpfaff.org> <j4slhq$a0n$1@dont-email.me>

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James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> writes:
> On 09/14/2011 10:58 PM, Ben Pfaff wrote:
>> Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> writes:
>> 
>>> That's interesting (and disappointing).  I had guessed that,
>>> since execv() can easily invoke any program with argv[0]==NULL,
>>> most production-quality Unix programs would check argv[0] before
>>> dereferencing it.  Apparently I was mistaken.
>> 
>> Under Unix, it's also easy to invoke a program without any file
>> descriptors at all, so that stdin, stdout, and stderr are all
>> invalid.  The first fopen() successful call ends up functioning
>> as stdin, the next as stdout, and the next as stderr.
>
> I wasn't aware of that option.
>
> There's a key difference here, as far as C is concerned: argc==0 &&
> argv[0]==NULL is explicitly permitted by the C standard. Having standard
> streams that need to be explicitly opened is not (7.19.3p7).
[...]

Implementations typically can do all sorts of things that violate the
language standard.  A debugger can modify the values of objects as
the program is running, which clearly violates the requirement that
non-volatile objects retain their last-stored values.  Depending on
the system, it might even be able to modify the code.  Or you can
just shut down the system before the program finishes.

The ability to do this kind of thing isn't generally considered to
render an implementation non-conforming.

The difference, as you say, is that argv[0]==NULL is explicitly
permitted by the C standard, so programs intended to be robust should
check it.

-- 
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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Thread

hexump.c jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-09 22:53 +0200
  Re: hexump.c tea strainer <nospam@nospam.com> - 2011-09-09 21:06 +0000
    Re: hexump.c jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-09 23:57 +0200
    Re: hexump.c NicStevens <nic.stevens@gmail.com> - 2011-09-12 13:22 -0700
  Re: hexump.c Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-09-10 09:18 +1200
    Re: hexump.c jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-09 23:59 +0200
  Re: hexump.c Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2011-09-09 22:29 +0000
    Re: hexump.c jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-10 00:39 +0200
      Re: hexump.c Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2011-09-09 22:53 +0000
        Re: hexump.c jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-10 00:58 +0200
        Re: hexump.c Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-09-13 06:44 +0000
          Re: hexump.c jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-13 10:33 +0200
            Re: hexump.c Fritz Wuehler <fritz@spamexpire-201109.rodent.frell.theremailer.net> - 2011-09-13 18:02 +0200
            Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) Kenneth Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2011-09-13 16:36 -0400
              Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-13 22:44 +0200
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-09-14 13:31 +0100
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-14 15:27 +0200
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) Richard Damon <news.x.richarddamon@xoxy.net> - 2011-09-14 11:49 -0400
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-09-14 13:27 -0700
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) pacman@kosh.dhis.org (Alan Curry) - 2011-09-14 20:59 +0000
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-09-14 22:20 +0100
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-09-14 17:20 -0400
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) pacman@kosh.dhis.org (Alan Curry) - 2011-09-15 01:51 +0000
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-09-14 19:29 -0700
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-09-14 19:21 -0700
                Re: Teaching C Ben Pfaff <blp@cs.stanford.edu> - 2011-09-14 19:58 -0700
                Re: Teaching C Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2011-09-14 21:55 -0600
                Re: Teaching C James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-09-15 06:54 -0400
                Re: Teaching C Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-09-15 11:58 -0700
                Re: Teaching C Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 12:57 -0800
                Re: Teaching C Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-09-15 14:25 +0100
                Re: Teaching C Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-09-16 22:00 +0000
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) Kenneth Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2011-09-14 12:54 -0400
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-09-14 13:26 -0400
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-14 19:33 +0200
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) jameskuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-09-14 11:33 -0700
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-14 21:17 +0200
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) Kenneth Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2011-09-16 11:47 -0400
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-09-14 20:43 +0000
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-09-14 22:35 +0100
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) gordonb.8a7i1@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) - 2011-09-14 17:31 -0500
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-14 19:32 +0200
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) Kenneth Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2011-09-16 11:27 -0400
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2011-09-16 08:49 -0700
                Re: Teaching C (was Re: hexump.c) James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-09-17 15:04 -0400
            Re: hexump.c Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-09-13 20:31 -0700
              Re: hexump.c Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2011-09-14 03:22 -0700
              Re: hexump.c "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-09-14 11:40 +0100
                Re: hexump.c jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-14 13:54 +0200
                Re: hexump.c Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-09-14 13:50 +0100
                Re: hexump.c Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-09-14 11:35 -0700
                Re: hexump.c Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-09-14 19:12 +0000
                Re: hexump.c John Bode <jfbode1029@gmail.com> - 2011-09-14 15:31 -0700
                Re: hexump.c jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-15 00:59 +0200
                Re: hexump.c Kleuskes & Moos <kleuske@somewhere.else.net> - 2011-09-14 23:14 +0000
                Re: hexump.c John Bode <jfbode1029@gmail.com> - 2011-09-15 08:52 -0700
                Re: hexump.c Jens Gustedt <jens.gustedt@loria.fr> - 2011-09-14 21:22 +0200
                Re: hexump.c jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-14 21:26 +0200
                Re: hexump.c Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-09-15 07:32 +1200
                Re: hexump.c jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-14 21:44 +0200
                Re: hexump.c Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-09-14 13:49 -0700
                Re: hexump.c Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-09-16 00:50 +0300
                Re: hexump.c Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-09-15 18:34 -0700
                Re: hexump.c Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-09-14 12:16 -0700
                Hypocrites jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-14 21:40 +0200
                Re: Hypocrites Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-09-14 19:11 -0700
                Re: hexump.c Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2011-09-14 15:05 +0100
                Re: hexump.c Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2011-09-14 07:56 -0700
                Re: hexump.c "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-09-14 17:23 +0100
              Re: hexump.c Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-09-14 19:12 +0000
              Re: hexump.c John Bode <jfbode1029@gmail.com> - 2011-09-14 15:24 -0700
      Re: hexump.c gordonb.ik17p@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) - 2011-09-09 18:16 -0500
        Re: hexump.c Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2011-09-12 22:24 +0000
  Re: hexump.c "Morris Keesan" <mkeesan@post.harvard.edu> - 2011-09-09 20:33 -0400
    Re: hexump.c Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-09-10 12:42 +1200
      Re: hexump.c "Morris Keesan" <mkeesan@post.harvard.edu> - 2011-09-10 17:16 -0400
    Re: hexump.c jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-10 10:03 +0200
  Re: hexump.c Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-09-10 10:04 +0100
    Re: hexump.c jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-10 11:41 +0200
      Re: hexump.c pete <pfiland@mindspring.com> - 2011-09-10 05:51 -0400
        Re: hexump.c jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-10 12:38 +0200
          Re: hexump.c Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-09-10 17:53 +0100
  Re: hexump.c jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-10 12:46 +0200
    Re: hexump.c Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2011-09-10 13:03 +0100
      Re: hexump.c jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-10 15:34 +0200
    Re: hexump.c "Morris Keesan" <mkeesan@post.harvard.edu> - 2011-09-10 17:37 -0400
      Re: hexump.c jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-11 00:10 +0200
        Re: hexump.c Patrick Scheible <kkt@zipcon.net> - 2011-09-10 21:03 -0700
  Re: hexump.c Barry Schwarz <schwarz45@yahoo.com> - 2011-09-11 00:37 -0700
    Re: hexump.c jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-09-11 13:56 +0200

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