From: Hans-Bernhard Broeker <broeker AT acp3bf DOT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de>
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Re: Length of Chars...
Date: 25 Jan 2000 09:10:10 GMT
Organization: Aachen University of Technology (RWTH)
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To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
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Alain Magloire <alain AT qnx DOT com> wrote:
> Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker AT acp3bf DOT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de) wrote:

> : For short: char, like all the C data types, is implementation defined.
> : You should never assume it's 8 bits, if you can help it, as that
> : renders your program unportable.

> Yes.  But If I recall ISO C requires that the size/range of the
> char types be defined in <limits.h>.  Althought 8 bits is widely use
> I've heard of implementations that used 9 bits.

Exactly my point: no-one should silently assume char is 8 bits, but
instead look into CHAR_BITS, as defined by the implementation's
<limits.h> to *check* if it really is 8 bits. Or, even better, look up
that value and use it to scale your arrays, if you really feel you
can't allow wasting the bits beyond the 8th that are present in a
char.
-- 
Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker AT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de)
Even if all the snow were burnt, ashes would remain.