alx-0029r4 - Restore the traditional realloc(3) specification

[Alejandro Colomar]

Hi Eric,

On Wed, Jun 25, 2025 at 07:36:01PM +0200, Alejandro Colomar wrote:
> On Wed, Jun 25, 2025 at 03:16:06PM +0200, Alejandro Colomar wrote:
> > > > 	@@ New footnote XXX
> > > > 	+XXX)
> > > > 	+While atypical,
> > > > 	+<b>realloc</b> may fail
> > > > 	+for a call that shrinks the block of memory.
> > > 
> > > Is it worth wording this as "may fail or return a different pointer
> > > for a call that shrinks the block of memory"?
> > 
> > Yeah, we can add that.
> 
> I've changed my mind; the current wording of ISO C makes it that all
> realloc(3) successful return values are new pointers, and it doesn't
> seem to mention that the old pointer could be kept (I remember having
> seen such text in older standards, I think; or maybe in POSIX), so let's
> keep in that sense, and assume that realloc(3) always moves the memory,
> even if sometimes it doesn't, as that is not observable by a conforming
> program.

Oh, the text is still there; I didn't see it.  :)

	The realloc function returns a pointer to the new object
	(which can have the same value as a pointer to the old object),
	or a null pointer if the new object has not been allocated

I think I'll just remove that parenthetical, since it serves little
purpose.


Cheers,
Alex

-- 
<https://www.alejandro-colomar.es/>
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