From 4950468211337500644 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: fc772,8d9af67f0c48e4ef X-Google-Attributes: gidfc772,public X-Google-Thread: f78e5,8d9af67f0c48e4ef X-Google-Attributes: gidf78e5,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2002-04-30 16:35:09 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!paloalto-snf1.gtei.net!crtntx1-snh1.gtei.net!denver-snf1.gtei.net!news.gtei.net!namche.sun.com!news2me.EBay.Sun.COM!engnews1.eng.sun.com!taumet!clamage From: Francis Glassborow Newsgroups: comp.std.c++,comp.lang.c++.moderated Subject: Re: Unsignedness of size_t Date: 30 Apr 2002 23:26:31 GMT Organization: Southfield Microcomputer SS Lines: 31 Approved: stephen.clamage@sun.com (comp.std.c++) Message-ID: References: <3CC7DB8F.52E75D62@bawi.org> Reply-To: Francis Glassborow NNTP-Posting-Host: taumet.eng.sun.com X-NNTP-Posting-Host: netlab.cs.rpi.edu X-Original-Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 18:46:23 +0100 X-Submission-Address: c++-submit@netlab.cs.rpi.edu X-Auth: PGPMoose V1.1 PGP comp.lang.c++.moderated iQBVAwUAPM8mXEHMCo9UcraBAQEMiwIArsLA/SEqW2FFWMqQ+HKZwwFxHT02tnII jQXz2KwWfJw/gg2kPfymqvGLg2r4xpGLu7LBw/XaHC1cbkpDj34qYA== =ztsB X-Approved-For-Group: jep@[151.161.11.6] comp.lang.c++.moderated X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.3 (www dot roaringpenguin dot com slash mimedefang) Content-Length: 1262 X-Status: $$$$ X-UID: 0000000001 Originator: clamage@taumet Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.std.c++:10929 comp.lang.c++.moderated:42419 In article , Barry Margolin writes >Why not? You can't have objects with negative size, just as you can't have >a class in school with a negative number of students. Unsigned types are >appropriate for variables that can only hold non-negative values. I would argue (on odd days of the month) that it only makes sense to have an unsigned type if underflow raises an exception. The real trouble with unsigned is that programmers have to very careful that they do not mix unsigned with signed. Mostly mixtures work because unsigned is a modular type, but now and again it causes a disaster. -- Francis Glassborow ACCU 64 Southfield Rd Oxford OX4 1PA +44(0)1865 246490 All opinions are mine and do not represent those of any organisation [ Send an empty e-mail to c++-help@netlab.cs.rpi.edu for info ] [ about comp.lang.c++.moderated. First time posters: do this! ] [ comp.std.c++ is moderated. To submit articles, try just posting with ] [ your news-reader. If that fails, use mailto:std-c++@ncar.ucar.edu ] [ --- Please see the FAQ before posting. --- ] [ FAQ: http://www.jamesd.demon.co.uk/csc/faq.html ]