Re: Loops (was Re: do { quit; } else { })

Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> writes:

James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> writes:
[...]
>

It's main potential usefulness is not in the definition of the
function, but in calls to the function.  If the calls occur in
a different translation unit from the definition, the compiler
does not have the needed information.

>
It does if the visible declaration has the same information.

Like 'restrict', parameter array length information, specified by
way of 'static', is ignored outside of function definitions.  As
was intended (with 'restrict' also).

Furthermore, and also like 'restrict', there is no general
way to verify at compile time that the stipulated condition
holds.

Considering the above, it's better to observe the status quo, and
leave any diagnostics up to the discretion of the implementation,
rather than try to retrofit an incompatible change that would
make an infringement be a constraint violation that can't be
checked anyway.