To my surprise, I was able to compile the following code snippet: void * pv = NULL; printf("sizeof: %d\n", sizeof(*pv));
I believe there are two problems here. First, I should not be able to dereference a void pointer, as I do inside sizeof(). Secondly, even if I could, should it return 1, not 0? I do not have access to the C specification, but would be mortified (and apologetic) if this were correct behavior. Attached is a sample program, and the .i output of my gcc compiler. gcc -v -save-temps -Wall -o void-sizeof void-sizeof.c --------- Reading specs from /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i386-redhat-linux/3.3.3/specs Configured with: ../configure --prefix=/usr --mandir=/usr/share/man --infodir=/usr/share/info --enable-shared --enable-threads=posix --disable-checking --disable-libunwind-exceptions --with-system-zlib --enable-__cxa_atexit --host=i386-redhat-linux Thread model: posix gcc version 3.3.3 20040412 (Red Hat Linux 3.3.3-7) /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i386-redhat-linux/3.3.3/cc1 -E -quiet -v -D__GNUC__=3 -D__GNUC_MINOR__=3 -D__GNUC_PATCHLEVEL__=3 void-sizeof.c -Wall void-sizeof.i ignoring nonexistent directory "/usr/i386-redhat-linux/include" #include "..." search starts here: #include <...> search starts here: /usr/local/include /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i386-redhat-linux/3.3.3/include /usr/include End of search list. /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i386-redhat-linux/3.3.3/cc1 -fpreprocessed void-sizeof.i -quiet -dumpbase void-sizeof.c -auxbase void-sizeof -Wall -version -o void-sizeof.s GNU C version 3.3.3 20040412 (Red Hat Linux 3.3.3-7) (i386-redhat-linux) compiled by GNU C version 3.3.3 20040412 (Red Hat Linux 3.3.3-7). GGC heuristics: --param ggc-min-expand=38 --param ggc-min-heapsize=15750 as -V -Qy -o void-sizeof.o void-sizeof.s GNU assembler version 2.15.90.0.3 (i386-redhat-linux) using BFD version 2.15.90.0.3 20040415 /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i386-redhat-linux/3.3.3/collect2 --eh-frame-hdr -m elf_i386 -dynamic-linker /lib/ld-linux.so.2 -o void-sizeof /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i386-redhat-linux/3.3.3/../../../crt1.o /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i386-redhat-linux/3.3.3/../../../crti.o /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i386-redhat-linux/3.3.3/crtbegin.o -L/usr/lib/gcc-lib/i386-redhat-linux/3.3.3 -L/usr/lib/gcc-lib/i386-redhat-linux/3.3.3/../../.. void-sizeof.o -lgcc --as-needed -lgcc_s --no-as-needed -lc -lgcc --as-needed -lgcc_s --no-as-needed /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i386-redhat-linux/3.3.3/crtend.o /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i386-redhat-linux/3.3.3/../../../crtn.o --------- -- Summary: void * dereferenced in sizeof() yields 1 Product: gcc Version: 3.3.3 Status: UNCONFIRMED Severity: normal Priority: P2 Component: preprocessor AssignedTo: unassigned at gcc dot gnu dot org ReportedBy: jboone at logitel dot com CC: gcc-bugs at gcc dot gnu dot org GCC host triplet: i386-redhat-linux GCC target triplet: i386-redhat-linux http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=22086