brnstnd@stealth.acf.nyu.edu (Dan Bernstein) (04/15/90)
It may be useful to set up a central registration point for C constant definitions. Some symbols are already defined by ANSI or by inclusion in some system's header files; but any symbol useful for more than one program is worth standardizing. This could be UNIX-specific, or it could encompass all C platforms; symbols can of course be defined differently depending on the presence or absence of other symbols. Obviously no single person or group could coordinate a project like this part-time. How much could be automated? A simple system could just store all information (in what format?), including any new symbol upon request and sending out the entire list or selected portions upon request. But what about symbol clashes? What about additional meanings for the same symbol? What about several symbols with the same meaning? The logistics alone for a #define repository are daunting, but the increases in portability and reductions in development time could be well worth it. Just throwing out the idea to see what people think. Followups to u-w, since it's probably wise to start small. ---Dan