Using ssize_t vs int

Question

Code

I\'ve got a function which I can write in one of four possible ways:

    int do_or_die(int retv         


        

Answer 1

Use types in a way:

• you don't mix signed and unsigned types together and
• you don't truncate values from larger types while storing them in smaller types (overflow/underflow)

ssize_t might be an alias for int, yet it is not standard C and might be environment specific.

If your program will run in specific environment, check whether sizeof(ssize_t) <= sizeof(int) and use int. Otherwise, use some other type T where sizeof(T) is greater or equal than both sizeof(int) and sizeof(ssize_t).