Request for compiler option to disable multiple declarations in a single statement

[Manish Jain <bourne.identity@hotmail.com>]

Hi all,

One of the historical artefacts of the C language has been the burden of 
lugging around multiple declarations in a single statement, with some 
well-known pitfalls:

int* ptr1, ptr2;

Since ptr2 looks like a pointer but actually is not, standard coding 
guidelines recommend declaring like this:

int *p1, *p2;

If anything, this leads to bizarre statements - very misleading for 
those trying to understand pointer usage in C or just read code:

int i;
int *j = &i; // impression: *j is being assigned &i

char *k = "Text";  // impression: *k is "Text"

void *fx(char *z); // impression: *fx is will accept char & return void


Each of these idiosyncrasies is best avoided by retaining the space 
after the asterisk (and removing the one before) in a pointer 
declaration. This really ought to be the standard coding guideline.

As for the problem of multiple declarations fraught in the suggestion 
above, I would like gcc developers to please consider a compiler option 
(--single-declarations perhaps) under which the programmer can only 
introduce one declaration in one statement. If such an option could be 
made available, it takes care of all declaration woes and lets declared 
types bear close resemblance to what they appear to be from signatures.

Would my idea have takers on this list ?

-- 
Thank you & Regards,
Manish Jain