Q: Why won't the Frobozz Magic C Compiler, which claims to be ANSI compliant, accept this code? I know that the code is ANSI, because gcc accepts it.
A: Many compilers support a few non-Standard extensions, gcc more so than most. Are you sure that the code being rejected doesn't rely on such an extension? The compiler may have an option to disable extensions; it may be wise to use such an option if you're not certain your code is ANSI-compatible. (gcc, to its credit, includes a -pedantic option which turns off extensions and attempts to enforce strict ANSI compliance.)
It is usually a bad idea to perform experiments with a particular compiler to determine properties of a language; the applicable standard may permit variations, or the compiler may be wrong. See also question 11.35.
Hosted by
