larry at hastings
May 2, 2012, 1:43 AM
Post #1 of 11
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Does trunk still support any compilers that *don't* allow declaring variables after code?
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Right now the CPython trunk religiously declares all variables at the
tops of scopes, before any code, because this is all C89 permits. Back
in the 90s all the C compilers took a page out of the C++ playbook and
independently, but nearly without exception, extended the language to
allow you declaring new variables after code statements. This became an
official part of the language with C99 back in 1999.
It's now 2012. As I step out of my flying car onto the moving walkway
that will glide me noiselessly into my platform sky dome... I can't help
but think that we're a bit hidebound, slavishly devoting ourselves to
C89. CPython 3.3 drops support for VMS, OS/2, and even Windows 2000.
I realize we can't jump to C99 because of A Certain Compiler. (Its name
rhymes with Bike Row Soft Frizz You All See Muss Muss.) But even that
compiler added this extension in the early 90s.
Do we officially support any C compilers that *don't* permit
"intermingled variable declarations and code"? Do we *unofficially*
support any? And if we do, what do we gain?
Just itching to pull some local macro hijinx, is all,
//arry/
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