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From: "K.J.Williams" <lordwilliams1972 AT gmail DOT com>
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Upgrading from a bad C compiler
Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2012 19:16:06 -0700 (PDT)
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Reply-To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com

I recently upgraded, and imported some source code from a non-standard ANSI C compliant compiler (Borland Turbo C++ 3.0 for DOS) to DJGPP because of the memory limitation and the fact that TC++ far invention for accessing memory does not work. Now I am using DJGPP via RHIDE get over this disadvantage of memory, and I am running into a lot of compiler (syntax) errors because the old compiler I used was not compliant. The only difference between RHIDE and Turbo C++ that I have noticed, is that there is no verbose explanation of the errors - which I could access in TC++. Is there a documentation where I can find out more in depth what these errors mean? 

3 examples of errors - simplified (2 of which I solved)- things that I could do in C in TC++ that DJGPP compiler nails me on : 

#1 

//in myfile1.c

short int myfunc(char x)
{
  char w[0] = x;// legal in TC++ - but illegal in DJGPP, to assign the address
                // of x to w[0] in this manner  
  ....
  ....
  return 0;
}

the fix: 

char w[0] = &x;

#2 

#define WIDGETS 200

//in myfile2.c - a global struct  

struct mystuff
{
   ....
   ....
};

struct mystuff *mything = NULL; //for use with malloc() & free() 

short int badstuff = 0;

short int myfunc(void)
{
   short unsigned int x; 
   ....
   x = sizeof(mystuff)*WIDGETS; //legal in TC++ but illegal in DJGPP 
   ....
   return 0;
}


the fix:  

x = sizeof(mything)*WIDGETS; // I don't understand why "mystuff" 

//doesn't work instead of using mything... 
                              
#3

//in myfile3.c , declares two extern of two variables in myfile2.c outside before any function //bodies  

// first extern:

extern short int badstuff = 0;//legal in TC++ but illegal in DJGPP 

// the fix is : extern short int badstuff;// but I dont understand why

// second extern: 

extern struct mystuff *mything;//legal in TC++ but illegal in DJGPP 

extern mystuff *mything;//doesnt work becuase the compiler doesn't know what mystuff is
extern struct mystuff;//doesnt work becuase mystuff is a struct template, not a instantiation 
extern mything;//doesnt work becuase it doesnt know what type mything is, and even so... 

//... mything is a variable not a pointer to a struct of mystuff which is what I am trying to 
//get recognized in myfile3.c

//THIS IS WHERE I AM STUCK

//please note on some download sites, TC++ is available - even though its obsolete and 
//non-standard ANSI compliant, it should never be used. I have it as the product that 
//came in a box with the books and etc. mediums to install it. 


Thanks In Advance, 

KJ