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Re: malloc and maximum size

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James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> writes:
[...]
> As I'm sure you're already aware, 5.2.4.1 is one of my least favorite
> clauses in the standard. Taking it's words literally, what it fails to
> promise renders virtually the entire rest of the standard meaningless;
> this is just one example of that fact. Except when I'm arguing against
> someone who disagrees on that point, I generally prefer to pretend that
> 5.2.4.1 says something that allows the rest of the standard to be
> meaningful.
[...]

The problem is that compilers can run out of resources in a plethora
of circumstances, and it's difficult or impossible to define a
coherent set of criteria such that you can reasonably require *all*
programs that meet those criteria are "small" enough that we can
expect all compilers to accept them.

I find 5.2.4.1 a clever way to deal with it.  An implementation
*could* satisfy the rather oddly stated requirement by cheating
(recognizing one specific program that meets all the limits and
does nothing, and treating it as `int main(void) { }").  But in the
absence of that, the easiest way to satisfy 5.2.4.1 is probably to
write a compiler that doesn't impose any fixed limits (as suggested
by the footnote).

-- 
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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malloc and maximum size "V.Subramanian, India" <subramanian100in@yahoo.com> - 2011-10-14 06:31 -0700
  Re: malloc and maximum size gordonb.pey1d@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) - 2011-10-14 09:45 -0500
    Re: malloc and maximum size Lowell Gilbert <lgusenet@be-well.ilk.org> - 2011-10-14 11:10 -0400
      Re: malloc and maximum size James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-14 11:40 -0400
        Re: malloc and maximum size Lowell Gilbert <lgusenet@be-well.ilk.org> - 2011-10-14 15:00 -0400
          Re: malloc and maximum size James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-14 15:17 -0400
            Re: malloc and maximum size Lowell Gilbert <lgusenet@be-well.ilk.org> - 2011-10-14 15:46 -0400
              Re: malloc and maximum size James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-14 16:38 -0400
                Re: malloc and maximum size Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2011-10-14 21:59 +0000
                Re: malloc and maximum size James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-14 18:26 -0400
                Re: malloc and maximum size Lowell Gilbert <lgusenet@be-well.ilk.org> - 2011-10-14 18:42 -0400
                Re: malloc and maximum size Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-14 16:27 -0700
                Re: malloc and maximum size Richard Damon <news.x.richarddamon@xoxy.net> - 2011-10-14 20:41 -0400
                Re: malloc and maximum size Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-14 18:31 -0700
                Re: malloc and maximum size Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2011-10-15 02:58 +0100
                Re: malloc and maximum size Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-14 22:11 -0700
                Re: malloc and maximum size James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-14 22:59 -0400
                Re: malloc and maximum size Richard Damon <news.x.richarddamon@xoxy.net> - 2011-10-14 23:44 -0400
                Re: malloc and maximum size Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-14 22:56 -0700
                Re: malloc and maximum size James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-15 07:52 -0400
                Re: malloc and maximum size Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 16:54 -0800
                Re: malloc and maximum size Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 16:51 -0800
                Re: malloc and maximum size James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-14 22:51 -0400
                Re: malloc and maximum size Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-14 22:48 -0700
                Re: malloc and maximum size James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-15 07:54 -0400
                Re: malloc and maximum size Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-15 11:25 -0700
                Re: malloc and maximum size James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-15 21:21 -0400
                Re: malloc and maximum size Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 17:41 -0800
                Re: malloc and maximum size Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2012-01-25 02:11 +0000
                Re: malloc and maximum size Richard Damon <news.x.richarddamon@xoxy.net> - 2011-10-15 11:50 -0400
                Re: malloc and maximum size James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-15 21:38 -0400
                Re: malloc and maximum size Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 17:33 -0800
                Re: malloc and maximum size Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 17:06 -0800
                Re: malloc and maximum size Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 16:58 -0800
                Re: malloc and maximum size Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2012-01-25 01:23 +0000
                Re: malloc and maximum size Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-31 16:31 -0800
                Re: malloc and maximum size James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-14 22:20 -0400
                Re: malloc and maximum size Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-14 16:03 -0700
                Re: malloc and maximum size James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-14 23:01 -0400
                Re: malloc and maximum size Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 17:35 -0800
                Re: malloc and maximum size Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2012-01-25 02:33 +0000
                Re: malloc and maximum size Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-31 17:14 -0800
              Re: malloc and maximum size Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 16:45 -0800
            Re: malloc and maximum size Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 16:32 -0800
              Re: malloc and maximum size Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-01-25 02:40 -0800
                Re: malloc and maximum size Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-31 17:27 -0800
          Re: malloc and maximum size Richard Damon <news.x.richarddamon@xoxy.net> - 2011-10-14 16:17 -0400
            Re: malloc and maximum size James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-14 16:52 -0400
              Re: malloc and maximum size Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-14 16:12 -0700
                Re: malloc and maximum size James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-14 23:04 -0400
          Re: malloc and maximum size Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 16:36 -0800
    Re: malloc and maximum size Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2011-10-14 16:49 +0000
  Re: malloc and maximum size James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-10-14 11:05 -0400
  Re: malloc and maximum size Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-10-14 16:11 +0100
  Re: malloc and maximum size Kenneth Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2011-10-14 12:24 -0400
  Re: malloc and maximum size jt@toerring.de (Jens Thoms Toerring) - 2011-10-14 17:10 +0000
  Re: malloc and maximum size Stephen Sprunk <stephen@sprunk.org> - 2011-10-14 13:43 -0500
    Re: malloc and maximum size Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-10-14 12:03 -0700
      Re: malloc and maximum size jt@toerring.de (Jens Thoms Toerring) - 2011-10-14 20:36 +0000
    Re: malloc and maximum size Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-24 16:26 -0800
  Re: malloc and maximum size Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-10-17 17:21 +0000
  Re: malloc and maximum size Shao Miller <sha0.miller@gmail.com> - 2012-01-24 23:49 -0500
    Re: malloc and maximum size Shao Miller <sha0.miller@gmail.com> - 2012-01-24 23:55 -0500

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