basic c i/o and EOF

[The Real OS/2 Guy]

ITYM "not lucky".

No, 'abc' or 'EOF' or 'BAD' is NOT a character. A character is a
single char, not a sequence of chars. A sequence of chars is known a
string, but a string must be in double quotes. So the compiler will
throw a diagnistic.

Quoth n869 (6.4.4.4):
--------
Description

[#2] An integer character constant is a sequence of one or
^^^^^^
more multibyte characters enclosed in single-quotes, as in
^^^^
'x' or 'ab'. A wide character constant is the same, except
prefixed by the letter L. With a few exceptions detailed
later, the elements of the sequence are any members of the
source character set; they are mapped in an implementation-
defined manner to members of the execution character set.
--------

So 'abc' is no less a character constant than 'a'. It may or may not
correspond to an acceptable char value, but it's perfectly acceptable as a
source code construct. (And, just for if you're going to try to nitpick
on the 'may not correspond to an acceptable value', I'll point out that
'a' isn't a "character" either, only a character constant whose value
(of integer type) corresponds to the appropriate character.)

I don't think that the OP uses a multibyte character sert. When he has
an single byte character set then the paragraph above is meaningless.

 

[The Real OS/2 Guy]

When I use:

printf("%c\n", 'EOF');

It prints 'F', is it suppose to print that or am I invoking undefined behavior?

I'm happy to have a compiler that will give a diagnostic when the
locale is not set to a multibyte character set, but uses a single byte
one.

 

[The Real OS/2 Guy]

It is, however, a character constant.

The Standard says: "An integer character constant is a sequence of one or
more multibyte characters enclosed in single-quotes, as in 'x' or 'ab'."

Does you know the difference between multibyte and single byte
chararer sets?

So 'a' is not a character, then?

It is.

(Hint: 'a' is of type int, not char.)

It gets converted implicity to an int but it is none, else it were
impossible to assign it to an char without diagnostic.

 

[The Real OS/2 Guy]

No, 'abc' or 'EOF' or 'BAD' is NOT a character. A character is a
single char, not a sequence of chars. A sequence of chars is known a
string, but a string must be in double quotes. So the compiler will
throw a diagnistic.

That must come as a shock to the guys who wrote the Standard:


[#2] An integer character constant is a sequence of one or
more multibyte characters enclosed in single-quotes, as in
'x' or 'ab'. A wide character constant is the same, except
prefixed by the letter L. With a few exceptions detailed
later, the elements of the sequence are any members of the
source character set; they are mapped in an implementation-
defined manner to members of the execution character set.

Why? Read it carefully! Get be informed on the difference between
multibyte and single byte character sets.
A multibyte character set uses multiple bytes to show a single char. A
singe byte character set only one.

 

[Irrwahn Grausewitz]

I don't think that the OP uses a multibyte character sert. When he has
an single byte character set then the paragraph above is meaningless.

Which part of

[...] With a few exceptions detailed
later, the elements of the sequence are any members of the
source character set; they are mapped in an implementation-
defined manner to members of the execution character set.

do you consider meaningless???


--
do not write: void main(...)
do not use gets()
do not cast the return value of malloc()
do not fflush( stdin )
read the c.l.c-faq: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html

 

[Irrwahn Grausewitz]

Does you know the difference between multibyte and single byte
chararer sets?

Do you know?

<SNIP>

--
do not write: void main(...)
do not use gets()
do not cast the return value of malloc()
do not fflush( stdin )
read the c.l.c-faq: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html

 

[Irrwahn Grausewitz]

It gets converted implicity to an int but it is none, else it were
impossible to assign it to an char without diagnostic.

This is simply wrong. Character constants in C are of type integer.
Lookup the standard on 'character constants'.


--
do not write: void main(...)
do not use gets()
do not cast the return value of malloc()
do not fflush( stdin )
read the c.l.c-faq: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html

 

[Richard Heathfield]

Does you know the difference between multibyte and single byte
chararer sets?
Yes.


It is.

Right, 'a' is a character, and 'a' is an int. Therefore, a character is not
a single char.

It gets converted implicity to an int

No, it really really doesn't. It /is/ an int. AS USUAL, you sound very
confident but in fact you are utterly, utterly wrong. PLEASE understand
that you don't know as much about C as you thought you did. This is
something most of us go through when we start using this group; I know I
did, and lots of others here did too. But you seem to be slow to grasp
this. It's about time that you got a clue, and started to check your
opinions against an authoritative source before posting them.

but it is none, else it were
impossible to assign it to an char without diagnostic.

Nonsense.

 

[Mark McIntyre]

It is.
It gets converted implicity to an int but it is none,

Er, no, a single character is of type int. The standard says so in
6.4.4.4.

else it were
impossible to assign it to an char without diagnostic.

Balderdash.