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Article #2226

Re: comment style

#2226
From: Tim McDaniel
Date: Fri, 28 Dec 1990 16:09
34 lines
2134 bytes
iverson@ivy.uucp (Tim Iverson) screwed up, I'm afraid.

   #include <stdio.h>
   /*   e.g. these lines are commented out /* even if they have comments */
   /*   You can also grep for "^/**/" to find where they all are.
   /**/
   main() { printf("Hello world\n"); exit(0); }

   gcc -Wall -ansi -pedantic 72.c
   72.c:2: warning: `/*' within comment
   72.c:3: warning: `/*' within comment
   72.c:3: unterminated string or character constant

The `*/' on line 3 ends the comment block.  Iverson's scheme works
only if all existing comments fall at the end of the line.

In any event, the comment is wrong.  `*' is a metacharacter for the
grep program, so the pattern matches lines starting with one or more
`/'s.  "^/\*\*/" is more correct, when such comments are not indented.

(To forestall a misunderstanding: a C comment cannot be nested within
another comment, as in
   /* comment comment /* nested comment */ more comment */
Never.  If your compiler allows it, it is not compiling C at that
time.  It is compiling a language that misleadingly resembles C.  It
will fail to compile the following program, which has been legal C
since Cambrian times.
   #include <stdio.h>
   main() {/* int x; /* a count */ printf("Hello world!\n"); exit(0);}
)
--
Tim McDaniel                 Applied Dynamics Int'l.; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Work phone: +1 313 973 1300                        Home phone: +1 313 677 4386
Internet: mcdaniel@adi.com                UUCP: {uunet,sharkey}!amara!mcdaniel
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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!umich!sharkey!amara!mcdaniel
References: <276814F4.141@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca> <1990Dec21.014321.5000@kithrup.COM> <26036@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU> <1990Dec27.215842.23685@ivy.uucp>

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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!umich!sharkey!amara!mcdaniel
From: mcdaniel@adi.com (Tim McDaniel)
Newsgroups: comp.std.c
Subject: Re: comment style
Message-ID: <MCDANIEL.90Dec28110944@dolphin.adi.com>
Date: 28 Dec 90 16:09:44 GMT
References: <276814F4.141@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca>
 <1990Dec21.014321.5000@kithrup.COM> <26036@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU>
 <1990Dec27.215842.23685@ivy.uucp>
Sender: news@adi.COM
Organization: Applied Dynamics International, Inc.; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Lines: 34
In-reply-to: iverson@ivy.uucp's message of 27 Dec 90 21:58:42 GMT