Re: RE: [LIP] alloc functions and stdlib...

I usually don't reply to messages with disclaimers, but since the list
admin himself is looking the other way, let us ignore it just this once ;)

Sameer Oak posted in linux-india-programmers:
> including stdlib.h is a good idea. but is it good enough over including
> malloc.h?  i was particularly looking for this distinction between stdlib.h
> and malloc.h nothing is commented on malloc.h over stdlib.h.

stdlib.h is part of ANSI C, malloc.h is not. I'd say stdlib.h is certainly
a better idea than malloc.h, if you value the portability of your code.

> if stdlib.h is not included we need to type cast the return value of
> malloc(), calloc(), realloc().
> if not type casted, the compiler generates a warning:
> warning: assignment makes pointer from integer without a cast.

That's right. The compiler assumes a return value of type int for any
unprototyped function.

On the other hand, once you have stdlib.h included, the compiler knows
malloc() returns a void *, and since it is legal in C to convert a void *
to any other pointer type, you can assign the return value of malloc()
to any pointer type without a cast.

Binand

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