[alt.sources] BSD Library names

jfh@rpp386.cactus.org (John F. Haugh II) (03/26/90)

In article <1990Mar23.164630.24318@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> mcdonald@aries.scs.uiuc.edu (Doug McDonald) writes:
>"index" as a function name in a C standard library is not allowed.
>IF the C library in question has such a function, it is broken.

index() is a function name in BSD and old UNIX libraries.  Not all
C libraries are "ANSI C" libraries.

>"index" is a perfectly valid function to be defined in a user program.
>The "implemention defined" function names have a specific list of
>first characters. "i" isn't included. Tell your vendor to fix their library.

Not everyone has the money to purchase a new library just because
X3J11 decided "index" was a valid user function name.  It is always
a good idea to recognize historical usage of function names when
writing "portable" software.

Anyway, the name "index" wasn't being used by TCL as a function name.
The close proximity of "index" and "strchr" in the same sentence set
my "BSD Paranoia" alarm off ...
-- 
John F. Haugh II                             UUCP: ...!cs.utexas.edu!rpp386!jfh
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