Last parameter of getpwent_r(3) family of functions is useless

[Alejandro Colomar]

Hi!

I've never understood all the parameters of the getspent_r(3) family of
functions.  Today, I've implemented one of these functions, and I
realized the last one is entirely useless, and thus I haven't
implemented it in my version (sgetsgent_r()).

I wonder if we could simplify the usage of these functions by allowing
the last argument to be specified as NULL.  That would be a compatible
change (although not usable by programs for many years).  In the long
term, it would be an improvement.  Eventually (in a couple of decades),
we'd be able to document that the last argument should be a NULL pointer
for historic reasons (very much like time(2)), and simplify its
documentation.


Have a lovely day!
Alex

-- 
<https://www.alejandro-colomar.es>
Use port 80 (that is, <...:80/>).
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