> I hate how GCC "suggests" adding parenthesis around mixed operators with
> "ambiguous" precedence, and also for ambiguous if/else.
> It turns out that there's nothing ambiguous in the operator precedence
> or if/else in C.
>=20
> For instance:
>=20
> if( a )
>     if( b )
>         ...
>     else
>         ...
>=20
> It's obvious that the "else" belongs to the second "if", but GCC issues
> a warning. Annoying.
>=20
> And:
>=20
> if( expr1 && expr2 || expr3 && expr4 )
>      ...
>=20
> Also gives a warning.
>=20
>=20
> Perhaps the compiler developers fear they may have made some mistake and
> ask the programmers to add parenthesis to avoid exposing a bug in the
> compiler?
>=20
>=20
> Isaac
>=20

Isn't that just what warnings are for? It compiles OK but it might not be w=
hat=20
you wanted. Just like:

if (A=3DB){
	...

I have learned that the clearer code I write the more easy it is to maintai=
n in=20
the long run. It might take you a week to write the initial code but it mig=
ht=20
need to be maintained for another 10 years (updates, changes - not bugfixin=
g).=20
And the one maintaining it might not be the one who wrote it in the first=20
place.

I generally sprinkle paranthesis and curly braces all over the code to make=
 it=20
very clear what I wanted (besides I never remember precedence anyway so I t=
ry=20
not to rely on it). I also try not to use too elaborate one-line C-code.=20
Instead I split the code in several steps and let the compiler optimize it =
for=20
me. Besides it is also often more easy to debug.

If I was handed code like the above, I would have to go through the rest of=
 the=20
code in more detail to be sure that it is what is written that is actually =
what=20
is intended. Especially if it is some sort of error handling that normally =
is=20
never executed and might never have been tested. All this can take a lot of=
=20
time. Of course you can comment the code but I have seen a lot of code (my =
own=20
included) that has an original set of comments and then something in the co=
de=20
was changed but the comments have never been updated, which is almost worse=
=20
than no comments at all.

Bottom line is that the clearer and simpler the code is the easier it is to=
=20
come back to it sometime in the future, which almost always happens.

/Ruben



=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Ruben J=F6nsson
AB Liros Electronic
Box 9124, 200 39 Malm=F6, Sweden
TEL INT +46 40142078
FAX INT +46 40947388
ruben@pp.sbbs.se
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

--=20
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