2008.08.23 16:51 "Re: [Tiff] creating sparse files......", by Gene Amtower

On Sat, 2008-08-23 at 17:58 +0200, Rogier Wolff wrote:

There are standards that imply the answer "8" from the short program above, and correct results from the code I suggested.

As I lurk through this string of posts, I wonder if there's an underlying concern that's not overtly stated in these discussions. Since the libtiff library is so widely used, is there a general concern with the completeness or correctness of the POSIX standard itself, or is there concern with how thoroughly the POSIX standard is implemented on the wide variety of platforms that libtiff will encounter? Are the issues centered on the various ways the libtiff library can be compiled, even with a single platform? On the other hand, are the concerns with simply hashing out the potential issues and insuring that the library considers all potential effects of this suggested code? I wonder if a more formal summary of the platforms involved and the pros and cons of each would help the discussion - does that happen somewhere in the open- source development model of libtiff and similar projects, maybe somewhere below the surface of this discussion list?

I'm not well-versed in the POSIX standard myself, but my thoughts are focused on understanding the source of the concerns stated, and driving towards a summary of the effects and issues. It sounds like this discussion has various strong opinions, so I just wanted to help with a focus on clarification. Hope it contributes to the discussion.

Kindly,

Gene