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Re: Patch for locale/programs/3level.h


> From: Bruno Haible <haible@ilog.fr>
> Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2001 16:39:13 +0200 (CEST)
> 
> I have learned to avoid negative numbers in all expression that
> involve unsigned integer types.

What gave you that impression?  Negative numbers are the most commonly
used method that works in general.  This is the method used in the C
and POSIX standards, for example; these standards are chock-full of
expressions like (size_t) -1 and (uid_t) -1.

> + /* Marker for an empty slot.  This has the value 0xFFFFFFFF, regardless
> +    whether 'int' is 16 bit, 32 bit, or 64 bit.  */
> + #define EMPTY ((uint32_t) ~0)

This expression assumes twos-complement arithmetic.  It won't work on
a ones-complement host, since EMPTY will evaluate to zero on such a host.

If you insist on using ~0 you should comment this portability
restriction somewhere.  But it's clearer if you replace ~0 with -1;
that avoids the need for the comment, and (more important) it is
more-easily understood by people who are familiar with the programming
standards.  I see no need to invent a separate, less-portable style
for this concept.


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