On: Tell HN: C Experts Panel – Ask us anything about C

[ux]

Is there any plan to deal with the locale fiasco at some point?

Some hints on what I'm referring to can be found here: https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/commit/1e70e82baa9193f6f02...

Unrelated, but I also miss a binary constant notation (such as 0b10101)

[OnACoffeeBreak → ux]

I know that we're not voting, but I miss a binary literal very much. I would also like a literal digit separator to improve readability. Verilog Hardware Description Language does that with an underscore [1]. For example, 0xad_beef to improve readability of a hex literal, and 0b011_1010 to improve readability of a binary literal.

1: http://verilog.renerta.com/mobile/source/vrg00020.htm

[jfkebwjsbx → OnACoffeeBreak]

If they pick this up, they will likely use C++'s syntax/rules.

[nickysielicki → ux]

In the same vein, I really like being able to use underscores in binary and hex literals to denote subfields in hardware registers.

0xDEADB_EEF

0b1_010_110111001001

etc.

[jhallenworld → nickysielicki]

Should take Verilog binary construction syntax, like { 12'd12, 16'hffee, 3'b101 } (or something similar that would fit with C's syntax).

[dirtydroog → jhallenworld]

Maybe not.

[jhallenworld → dirtydroog]

Why not? If you have to combine bit fields now, it's a mess of shifting and masking.

[pascal_cuoq → ux]

Many C compilers offer, as an extension, the very binary constant notation that you miss, as anyone who has worked on the front-end of a C static analyzer would tell you.

[ux → pascal_cuoq]

Yes I'm aware. But we can agree it would be welcome in the standard, isn't it?

[pascal_cuoq → ux]

Yes, if only so that we (as a category) do not have to discover it exists when already facing C programs that use it.

[r12477 → ux]

For binary constant notation, I have incorporated the following macro into my projects: https://gist.github.com/61131/009961b781f387ed1474ffaf19e375...

[eqvinox → ux]

I haven't read most of that rant, but a thread-local setlocale() would be a godsend. Not sure if that's ISO C or POSIX though.

[wahern → eqvinox]

POSIX has added _l variants taking a locale_t argument to all the relevant string functions. I can see how per-thread state would be convenient, but it's not a comprehensive solution. With the _l variants you can write your own wrappers that pass a per-thread locale_t object.

[EdSchouten → eqvinox]

That's uselocale().