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In this noncompliant code example, the variable i is declared to have type int in file a.c but defined to be of type short in file b.c. The declarations are incompatible, resulting in undefined behavior 15. Furthermore, accessing the object using an lvalue of an incompatible type, as shown in function f(), results in is undefined behavior 37 with possible observable results ranging from unintended information exposure to memory overwrite to a hardware trap.

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In this noncompliant code example, the variable a is declared to have pointer type in file a.c but defined to have array type in file b.c. The two declarations are incompatible, resulting in undefined behavior 15. As before, accessing the object in function f() results in is undefined behavior 37 with the typical effect of triggering a hardware trap.

/* In a.c */
extern int *a;   /* UB 15 */

int f(unsigned int i, int x) {
  int tmp = a[i];   /* UB 37: read access */
  a[i] = x;         /* UB 37: write access */
  return tmp;
}

/* In b.c */
int a[] = { 1, 2, 3, 4 };   /* UB 15 */

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/* In a.c */
extern int a[];   

int f(unsigned int i, int x) {
  int tmp = a[i];   
  a[i] = x;         
  return tmp;
}

/* In b.c */
int a[] = { 1, 2, 3, 4 };  

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In this noncompliant code example, the function f() is declared in file a.c with one prototype but defined in file b.c with another. The two prototypes are incompatible, resulting in undefined behavior 15. Furthermore, invoking the function results in is undefined behavior 41, and typically with has catastrophic effectsconsequences.

/* In a.c */
extern int f(int a);   /* UB 15 */

int g(int a) {
  return f(a);   /* UB 41 */
}

/* In b.c */
long f(long a) {   /* UB 15 */
  return a * 2;
}

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In this noncompliant code example, the length of the identifier declaring the function pointer bash_groupname_completion_function() in file bashline.h exceeds by 3 the minimum implementation limit of 31 significant initial characters in an external identifier, introducing the possibility of colliding with the bash_groupname_completion_funct integer variable defined in file b.c, which is exactly 31 characters long. On an implementation that exactly meets this limit, this is a violation of  undefined behavior 31. It results in two incompatible declarations of the same function (see undefined behavior 15). In addition, invoking the function leads to undefined behavior 41 with typically catastrophic effects.

/* In bashline.h */
/* UB 15, UB 31 */
extern char * bash_groupname_completion_function(const char *, int);

/* In a.c */
#include "bashline.h"

void f(const char *s, int i) {
  bash_groupname_completion_function(s, i);  /* UB 41 */
}

/* In b.c */
int bash_groupname_completion_funct;  /* UB 15, UB 31 */

NoteNOTE: The identifier bash_groupname_completion_function referenced here was taken from GNU Bash version 3.2.

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In this compliant solution, the length of the identifier declaring the function pointer bash_groupname_completion() in bashline.h is less than 32 characters. Consequently, it cannot clash with bash_groupname_completion_funct on any compliant platform.

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