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From: Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) 
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Subject: Re:  4.2::SYSV compatability problem
Message-ID: <8185@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 10-Feb-85 15:42:55 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.8185
Posted: Sun Feb 10 15:42:55 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 13-Feb-85 02:18:39 EST
Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA
Organization: Ballistic Research Lab
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But the idea of making extern objects conform to a DEF/REF model
is a good one (forced upon the C implementor on a wide variety of
systems); it's just changing the semantics on UNIX that was not
such a hot idea.  (Although K&R described DEF/REF semantics, few
UNIX programmers paid heed, since UNIX used a COMMON model.)

The draft ANSI C spec requires DEF/REF, but in a small note in an
Appendix the COMMON model is mentioned as a "common extension".
C programmers should start conforming to DEF/REF semantics if they
are not already doing so; this works on UNIX and will continue to
work on other C systems (including perhaps future UNIXes).