volatile: is NOT a frill, is increasingly necessary

[Art Boyne]

As regards the "volatile" discussion:

There are many of us out here who use C in other than
Un*x applications.  For example, C is now the language
of choice in this division of Hewlett-Packard for all
firmware going into instruments.  The existing C compiler
doesn't support the keyword "volatile" but does support
a compiler directive $AMNESIA ON$, which gives somewhat
the same effect.  This directive is used in a lot of
sources that deal directly with the hardware; without it,
we get the optimize-into-oblivion behavior described
in the base note.  

For all of us in nitty-gritty land, lets hear it for
volatile!

Art Boyne, hplabs!hplvly!boyne