cdecl keyword

[Karl Heuer]

In article <5980 at utcsri.UUCP> flaps at utcsri.UUCP (Alan J Rosenthal) writes:
>tanner at ki4pv.uucp (T. Andrews) cited a compiler which [handles pre-defined
>variadic functions but not user-defined ones]
>
>Such a compiler would not correctly compile all correct C programs.  In C it
>is permissible to call any function (including user-defined ones) with the
>wrong number of arguments, so long as any arguments not actually passed are
>not accessed by the function being called.

I don't believe this has ever been guaranteed.  Dennis Ritchie recently
mentioned this as one of the internal inconsistencies of K&R C (variadic
functions are forbidden, yet printf exists).

Karl W. Z. Heuer (ima!haddock!karl or karl at haddock.isc.com), The Walking Lint
Followups to comp.lang.c only.