Messages in this thread | | | Subject | Re: Use enum to declare errno values | Date | Fri, 02 Dec 2005 15:30:55 -0300 | From | Horst von Brand <> |
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Coywolf Qi Hunt <coywolf@gmail.com> wrote: > 2005/12/3, Bill Davidsen <davidsen@tmr.com>: > > Coywolf Qi Hunt wrote:
> > > This is a reason why enums are worse than #defines. > > > > > > Unlike in other languages, C enum is not much useful in practices.
> > Actually they are highly useful if you know how to use them. They allow > > type checking, have auto increment, and are part of the language instead > > of a feature of the preprocessor.
The preprocessor /is/ part lof the language...
> Yes, I know type checking and auto increment. But they are not > worthwhile, at least not for serious C programming.
They do have their uses. No, C (particularly as used today) is not a "designed" language, it has several ways of doing the same thing, some quirks, and outright design mistakes.
> No, I don't know > how to use them comfortably.
Then you aren't fit to judge, are you?
> What's wrong with sorted macros? They are more flexible
"More flexible" == "more leeway to screw up"...
> and readable.
"Readable" is in the eye of the beholder...
> enums just look weird.
Ditto.
> We also share macros b/w C and asm.
So what?
[...]
> Follow you logic, C standard should only specify C language, not > anything of libc... I have no interest in arguing the relations b/w C > and cpp.
libc is part of the language, as is cpp.
[...]
> > It would have been good to use enums in the first place, I can't see > > changing now because of the effort involved.
> You contradict yourself rather.
No. The difference between them is not /that/ large, and by now the use of #define is so much part of the "way things are done" that the pain of changing it doesn't buy you enough.
What I see is that you don't know too much about large-scale software development (and Linux is definitively in that league). -- Dr. Horst H. von Brand User #22616 counter.li.org Departamento de Informatica Fono: +56 32 654431 Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria +56 32 654239 Casilla 110-V, Valparaiso, Chile Fax: +56 32 797513 - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/
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