Re: libf2c/configure.in change

[Toon Moene <toon@moene.indiv.nluug.nl>]

Dave wrote:

  > I didn't know the following libf2c change had gone in (good), but I
  > presume it should have a corresponding configure change.
  >
  > Mon Jan 19 17:19:27 EST 1998
  > [...]
  >   libi77: backspace.c: for b->ufmt==0, change sizeof(int) to
  > sizeof(uiolen).  On machines where this would make a  
difference, it is
  > best for portability to compile libI77 with -DUIOLEN_int, which will
  > render the change invisible.
  >
  > 1998-02-15  Dave Love  <d.love@dl.ac.uk>
  >
  > 	* configure.in: Define UIOLEN_int per dmg advice for Jan 18
  > 	backspace.c change.

>  I don't really follow what's going on here.  But if you
>  & Toon think it's the right change, then please install
>  it.  (Toon submitted the backspage.c fix if I remember
>  correctly).

The problem with this change is that it is makes a compatibility  
break on systems where sizeof(long) != sizeof(int), e.g. Alpha's.   
With this change, people won't be able to read the sequential  
unformatted files they created with previous versions of the  
compiler.  OTOH, with this change, they could freely exchange such  
files with Digital Fortran on Digital UNIX.

I have no strong feeling either way, but if we're going to break  
backwards compatibility, we should write that down in the release  
notes.

Cheers,
Toon.