Oops. Replied to Ben only not to the list. Here is my reply.

Actually did a quick grep -r -w afterwards: there are roughly 475 .c files with extern in it. Guess this is a more widely spread issue.

(btw personally I feel that it is a sign of clean programming to declare all exported functions in a header file, and only to use header files to import functions, but maybe that is a personal thingie).

Frans

2010/3/24 Frans Meulenbroeks fransmeulenbroeks@gmail.com:

2010/3/24 Ben Warren biggerbadderben@gmail.com:

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Hi Frans,

On 3/24/2010 12:52 PM, Frans Meulenbroeks wrote:

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yet another potential cleanup:

I see both: extern char console_buffer[]; and extern char console_buffer[CONFIG_SYS_CBSIZE];

(and in fact console_buffer is declared as: char        console_buffer[CONFIG_SYS_CBSIZE + 1];      /* console I/O buffer   */ so with a +1).

Questions: is the first or the 2nd form preferred? and if it is the 2nd form should it not have the +1? and wouldn't it be better to have this extern in a .h file (and if so which one)?

Your interest is definitely appreciated.  As a general remark, you're more likely to get meaningful feedback if you just submit what you think is best.  You'll get more feedback when people don't like what you did, but any EE will tell you that negative feedback is the path to stability :)

You have a point. Well, I have not too strong opinions on this one, but I like consistency. But if I have a choice I prefer to have it in an include file (but I am not too eager to create one for this sole declaration.

Frans (who actually is an EE :-) )