"Alfred M. Szmidt" <[email protected]> writes:

> This seems like a good suggestion.
>
>    --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
>    diff --git a/doc/standards.texi b/doc/standards.texi
>    index 30592c65..da17d736 100644
>    --- a/doc/standards.texi
>    +++ b/doc/standards.texi
>    @@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
>     @setfilename standards.info
>     @settitle GNU Coding Standards
>     @c This date is automagically updated when you save this file:
>    -@set lastupdate August 17, 2021
>    +@set lastupdate October 13, 2024
>     @c %**end of header
>
>     @dircategory GNU organization
>    @@ -407,10 +407,13 @@ @node Standard C
>     use these features if GCC supports them, when they give substantial
>     benefit.
>
>    -However, it is easy to support pre-standard compilers in most programs,
>    -so if you know how to do that, feel free.
>    -
>     @cindex function prototypes
>    +Previously, this document recommended using pre-standard style of
>    +function definition, however, C23 has entirely removed unprototyped
>    +definitions, and compilers that do not support the standard style of
>    +function definition are few and far between.  Due to this, it is no
>    +longer worth the trouble to support such pre-standard compilers.
>    +
>
> I would remove the last sentence, it doesn't serve much point I think?
> Maybe add "If however you need to support such compilers, you can do
> in the following manner." or some such?

I like that wording.

>     To support pre-standard C, instead of writing function definitions in
>     standard prototype form,
>
> The usage of past tense in the later parts of the chapter seem
> incorrect grammatically?

I'm not sure it is, but I think the following sounds better anyway:

diff --git a/doc/standards.texi b/doc/standards.texi
index 30592c65..4813fde3 100644
--- a/doc/standards.texi
+++ b/doc/standards.texi
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 @setfilename standards.info
 @settitle GNU Coding Standards
 @c This date is automagically updated when you save this file:
-@set lastupdate August 17, 2021
+@set lastupdate October 14, 2024
 @c %**end of header
 
 @dircategory GNU organization
@@ -407,12 +407,14 @@ @node Standard C
 use these features if GCC supports them, when they give substantial
 benefit.
 
-However, it is easy to support pre-standard compilers in most programs,
-so if you know how to do that, feel free.
-
 @cindex function prototypes
-To support pre-standard C, instead of writing function definitions in
-standard prototype form,
+Previously, this document recommended using pre-standard style of
+function definition, however, C23 has entirely removed unprototyped
+definitions, and compilers that do not support the standard style of
+function definition are few and far between.
+
+If you need to support such compilers, however, instead of writing
+function definitions in standard prototype form,
 
 @example
 int
@@ -438,9 +440,7 @@ @node Standard C
 @end example
 
 You need such a declaration anyway, in a header file, to get the benefit
-of prototypes in all the files where the function is called.  And once
-you have the declaration, you normally lose nothing by writing the
-function definition in the pre-standard style.
+of prototypes in all the files where the function is called.
 
 This technique does not work for integer types narrower than @code{int}.
 If you think of an argument as being of a type narrower than @code{int},

-- 
Arsen Arsenović

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