Dear Autoconf developers, I would like to reparaphrase my question from last time. Following the advice from Autoconf manual: http://www.delorie.com/gnu/docs/autoconf/autoconf_50.html: The following code in gnuplot breaks compilation on at least two systems that don't conform to C99 (Sparc Solaris 9 with Sun Studio 12, Mac OS X 10.6 with Xcode 3.2). <<<<< (quote) Macro: AC_HEADER_STDBOOL If `stdbool.h' exists and is conformant to C99, define HAVE_STDBOOL_H to 1; if the type _Bool is defined, define HAVE__BOOL to 1. To fulfill the C99 requirements, your `system.h' should contain the following code: #if HAVE_STDBOOL_H # include <stdbool.h> #else # if ! HAVE__BOOL # ifdef __cplusplus typedef bool _Bool; # else typedef unsigned char _Bool; # endif # endif # define bool _Bool # define false 0 # define true 1 # define __bool_true_false_are_defined 1 #endif >>>>> (end of quote) My suggestion would be to change this to #if HAVE_STDBOOL_H # include <stdbool.h> #else # ifndef __cplusplus # if ! HAVE__BOOL typedef unsigned char _Bool; # endif # define bool _Bool # define false 0 # define true 1 # endif // not really needed except to "conform with C99" # define __bool_true_false_are_defined 1 #endif otherwise a common situation in which _Bool is defined in C, but not in C++, ends up with C++ compiler seeing: // remember that _Bool is not defined in C++, it's only defined in C // on the other hand, all of bool/false/true are known to C++, so I don't see the need to redefine them all # define bool _Bool # define false 0 # define true 1 # define __bool_true_false_are_defined 1 and then any usage of "bool" in C++ breaks with "_Bool is not defined". I suggested to do this change in gnuplot, but I would like to hear your feedback as well, and possibly suggest improving the suggestion in your official manual. I don't have that much experience with different compilers, so it might be that I overlooked some cases. But current solution is definitely not satisfactory. One problem with unrecognized _Bool has been fixed not so long ago (between versions 2.65 and 2.68), with 2010-08-24 Paul Eggert <eggert@xxxxxxxxxxx> AC_HEADER_STDBOOL: avoid spurious failure with modern xlc * lib/autoconf/headers.m4 (AC_HEADER_STDBOOL): ... 2010-08-23 Eric Blake <eblake@xxxxxxxxxx> AC_HEADER_STDBOOL: avoid spurious clang failure * lib/autoconf/headers.m4 (AC_HEADER_STDBOOL): Drop gcc ... but this problem with weird bool/_Bool (re)definitions still prevents compiling on some platforms, most notably older Mac OS X and Solaris. Thank you very much, Mojca On Sun, Aug 26, 2012 at 2:47 PM, Mojca Miklavec wrote: > Hello, > > A sparc solaris user reported a _Bool-related problem to gnuplot tracker. > > Long story short: stdbool.h is absent, _Bool is defined in C, but not > in C++. Current header file in gnuplot sources which is used both in C > and C++ goes like > > # if ! HAVE__BOOL > # ifdef __cplusplus > typedef bool _Bool; > # else > typedef unsigned char _Bool; > # endif > # endif > > But there is a problem. If > AC_HEADER_STDBOOL > is called with C compiler, it would figure out that _Bool is defined > and thus skip defining _Bool in C++. If the macro is called with C++ > compiler, it would figure out that _Bool is undefined and try to > define it for C as well. In either case compilation fails. > > My question is: what is the proper way to test for existence of _Bool > in C and C++ separately? Something like this should work in the header > file: > > # ifdef __cplusplus > # if !HAVE__BOOL_IN_CXX > typedef bool _Bool; > # endif > # else > # if !HAVE__BOOL_IN_C > typedef unsigned char _Bool; > # endif > # endif > > but I don't know what would be the proper way to get HAVE__BOOL_IN_CXX > & HAVE__BOOL_IN_C without completely (re)defining AC_HEADER_STDBOOL > macro. > > Thank you, > Mojca _______________________________________________ Autoconf mailing list Autoconf@xxxxxxx https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/autoconf