[Ffmpeg-devel] Matroska Patch

[Rich Felker]

On Fri, Mar 24, 2006 at 02:34:46AM +0100, Diego Biurrun wrote:
> On Fri, Mar 24, 2006 at 01:22:29AM +0000, M?ns Rullg?rd wrote:
> > Rich Felker <dalias at aerifal.cx> writes:
> > 
> > > On Thu, Mar 23, 2006 at 10:10:35AM +0100, Diego Biurrun wrote:
> > >> 
> > >> This case is different IMO.  The use of 'time' as variable name is
> > >> problematic.  You have to have a copy of the C standard lying around to
> > >> check which uses are allowed and which aren't to avoid shooting yourself
> > >> in the foot.
> > >
> > > No you don't. It's very clear. You're not allowed to use names from
> > > the C library as external symbols. Any other use is just fine as long
> > > as you don't include the header (in this case time.h).
> > 
> > Even if you do include the header, using the names in local scope is
> > fine, with the exception of object-like macros.  Standard library
> > functions are not allowed to be defined by the system headers as
> > object-like macros, so using "time" as a local variable name will
> > never be problematic in a conforming environment.  The C99 standard
> > makes this quite clear in sections 7.1.3-4.
> 
> As far as I'm concerned you two are proving my point.  I will make a
> mental note to avoid 'time' as variable name, forget the details and
> live happily from here on..

No, the point is that it's safe and we're just being pedantic arguing
over why it is. But anyone who knows C intuitively knows its safe to
use time as a variable name.

Rich