using std::FILE

[Marc Glisse]

On Sun, 16 Dec 2007, Richard B. Kreckel wrote:

> There's this line in gmp.h.

It has been discussed last week on this list...

> But std::FILE hasn't been defined and with a conforming C++ compiler it
> won't be unless <cstdio> has been included before <gmp.h>.

This line is protected by a test that a variable like STDIO_H is defined, 
so it is only read if stdio.h or cstdio was included before gmp.h.

> Note that
> including <stdio.h> is not enough, as it doesn't define namespace std.

That is a bug, the current standard says it should (that may change in the 
next standard, but hasn't yet).

> So, defined(__cplusplus) and including <stdio.h> is not enough to
> guarantee that std::FILE is known to the compiler.

It should be. A ridiculous workaround would be for gmp.h to include cstdio 
when it detects that either stdio.h or cstdio was included in c++.

> Apparently, the intent is to avoid including stdio.h or cstdio. Why? I
> would suggest including it.

I think it is because stdio is not present on all targets supported by 
gmp, and even when it is it uselessly (when you don't use it) makes the 
whole program more heavy. I agree this last is not very relevant for a 
shared libgmp linked to a shared libc (or usually for C++).

> Besides, these using declarations are considered bad practice in header
> files. It would be better defining GMP_FILE or similar to either expand
> to FILE or std::FILE and use that instead of FILE.

And doing the same for std::size_t, std::ptrdiff_t, etc. There was a patch 
on the list after 4.2.1 to do that, but it wasn't adopted.

Now it may still be a good idea to include cstdio by default in c++ mode 
in gmp.h, as I think stdio is mandatory in C++ and not many people try to 
get light binaries using c++.

-- 
Marc Glisse