VLA proposals

[Tom MacDonald]

I just wanted to claiify something in the most recent NCEG mailing that
I'm sending out today.  There are two Variable Length Array proposals
in this mailing.  They are number X3J11.1/93-038 and X3J11.1/93-043.

Cray Research has decided to change its position in favor of strict
lexical ordering function parameters (implying we no longer support
the relaxed lexical ordering that has generated so much debate).
As the introduction in 93-038 states:

   This document reflects the evolution of a Cray Research
   proposal for Variable Length Array (VLA) types.  However, there
   is a fundamental difference between this proposal and a similar
   proposal described in X3J11.1/93-043.  This proposal allows a
   relaxed lexical ordering for parameters declared in function
   prototypes (see 6.5.4.3 (3.5.4.3) for details).  Cray Research
   has decided to change its position on the lexical ordering
   issue to require strict lexical ordering, and X3J11.1/93-043
   contains that proposal.  It is our hope that this change will
   facilitate the acceptance of adding a VLA type to Standard C.
   This document is being distributed as a complete description of
   the VLA feature with relaxed lexical ordering semantics,
   because it might provide useful reference material in the
   future.

So, document X3J11.1/93-043 is our current official position.  There is
still some benefit to looking at 93-038 because it contains diff-marks
and a summary list of changes that apply to 93-043 as well.

Tom MacDonald