Re: [Groff] Automake migration proposal

[James K. Lowden]

On Mon, 11 Aug 2014 08:06:16 +0200 (CEST)
Werner LEMBERG <address@hidden> wrote:

> >>  extern "C" const char *Version_string = "1.22.2";
> > 
> > extern "C" const char *Version_string;
> > const char *Version_string = "1.22.2";
> > 
> > but I'm not sure if it's the proper way to solve this warning.
> 
> Does
> 
>   extern "C" {
>     const char *Version_string = "1.22.2";
>   }
> 
> work better?

It should.  Stroustrup discusses the difference in 9.2.4 of The C++
Programming Language.  His examples: 

        extern "C" { 
                int g1;                 // definition
                extern int g2;  // declaration
        }

        extern "C" int g1;      // declaration

Although, he says, it "looks odd at first glance", it's a consequence
of the fact that the first form admits other code being #included.  

In light of that, 

        extern "C" const char *Version_string = "1.22.2";

is problematic because storage for the pointer hasn't been defined.  

My preference, though, would be 

        extern "C" {
                const char Version_string[] = "1.22.2";
        }

unless there is a need to have Version_string point to something else. 

--jkl