C linkage query

[johnathan.tainter]

In article <1795 at auspex.auspex.com> guy at auspex.auspex.com (Guy Harris) writes:
>I.e., if you compile a file containing
>	extern int foo;
>	main() {}
>and link that *with no other object files and with no libraries that
>define "foo"*, will the link fail?

>Several people have given examples where it *doesn't* fail, but I don't
>know that those are interesting in this case; the existence of 1 million
>compiler/linker pairs in which it doesn't fail doesn't demonstrate that
>no compiler/linker pair exists in which it *does* fail. 


I have an example where this is mishandled.  The Alcyon Developers Package
for the Atari ST certainly does this.  It makes using interface header files
an unpleasant prospect.

--johnathan.a.tainter--
   att!ihlpb!tainter