An insect is sitting in your compiler and doesn't want to leave for 13 years
An insect in a compiler caused encoding issues for 13 years, leading to build failures and ODR violations. Despite bug reports and patches, the problem persists, highlighting the need for timely fixes.
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An insect has been causing trouble in a compiler for 13 years, leading to unexpected issues when encoding files. The story highlights a scenario where a simple encoding change caused a cascade of problems, including build failures and ODR violations. The root cause was traced back to a header file encoding change, showcasing the complexities of compiler behavior. The article discusses the challenges with pragma directives, especially in GCC, and the potential pitfalls when dealing with different encodings and third-party libraries. Despite efforts to address the issue, including a reported bug and patch, the problem persists after several years. The narrative emphasizes the importance of timely bug fixes and user support in software development. The author suggests that it's time for GCC to address longstanding issues to enhance user experience and avoid such incidents in the future.
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2 commentsSucks that this compiler bug is still around after all this time. Seems like a adding a pre-commit hook to the project to enforce correct encoding would be a simple workaround, though.
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