Converting 32-bit Application Into 64-bit Application in C

Question

I am presently working on converting a 32bits application into a 64bits application in C. This application is currently working on x86 architecture (Windows, osx, Unix, Linu

Answer 1

This really depends on the application and how it has been coded. Some code can just be recompiled with a 64-bit compiler and it will just work, but usually this only happens if the code has been designed with portability in mind.

If the code has a lot of assumptions about the size of native types and pointers, if it has a lot of bit packing hacks or of it talks to an external process using a byte specified protocol but using some assumptions about the size of native types then it may require some, or a lot, of work to get a clean compile.

Pretty much every cast and compiler warning is a red flag that needs checking out. If the code wasn't "warning clean" to start with then that is also a sign that a lot of work may be required.