Re: [xml] libxml2 API crazy?

[Liam R E Quin <liam holoweb net>]

On Mon, 2013-04-29 at 08:32 +0400, Nikita Churaev wrote:
> > It doesn't have anything to do with C standard.
>
> It does. Take for example:
>
> struct A {
>   int q;
>   int w;
>   /* end of common part */
>
>   float x;
> };
>
> struct B {
>   int q;
>   int w;
>   /* end of common part */
>
>   double x;
> };
>
> What if the C standard allows the compiler to place q and w further
> apart in struct A than in struct B?

Then every kernel or device driver on the planet would break, as would
large amount of application code. But it doesn't allow the compiler that
freedom.

C specifies the behaviour very precisely and carefully exactly so you
can do this. See "structure padding"...

Liam

-- 
Liam Quin - XML Activity Lead, W3C, http://www.w3.org/People/Quin/
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