When working on an old code base, porting from Windows to Linux, using gcc version 4.1.0 20060304 (Red Hat 4.1.0-3) on my Fedora system, I got a series of warning from a header file which uses offsetof in several places - here's an example:
PROM800.h: In member function void ATPromInfo8C::UpdateVersion(): PROM800.h:750: warning: invalid access to non-static data member ATPromInfo8C::CRC of NULL object PROM800.h:750: warning: (perhaps the offsetof macro was used incorrectly) Based on my understanding of offsetof, these warnings seemed unnecessary. After some experimentation, I discovered that this warning is only issued when offsetof is used with classes or structures which have a constructor. If a class or structure omits code for construction, no warning is issued. If code is included in the class or structure for construction, or just the declaration of constructors is included, then the above warning is issued. Below is a screen dump of the source code and the compile output with and without the constructor: /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// [EMAIL PROTECTED] PK76OTDR]$ more foo.cpp #include <stdlib.h> #include <stdio.h> #include <stddef.h> class goo { public: #if defined(BREAKIT) goo(int a); #endif int bar; }; struct foo { #if defined(BREAKIT) foo() { } #endif int bar; }; int main(int, char*[]) { size_t s = offsetof(foo,bar); size_t g = offsetof(goo,bar); return 0; } [EMAIL PROTECTED] PK76OTDR]$ cc foo.cpp [EMAIL PROTECTED] PK76OTDR]$ cc -DBREAKIT foo.cpp foo.cpp: In function int main(int, char**): foo.cpp:26: warning: invalid access to non-static data member foo::bar of NULL object foo.cpp:26: warning: (perhaps the offsetof macro was used incorrectly) foo.cpp:27: warning: invalid access to non-static data member goo::bar of NULL object foo.cpp:27: warning: (perhaps the offsetof macro was used incorrectly) [EMAIL PROTECTED] PK76OTDR]$ /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Thanks, Casey Shaar -- Summary: offsetof produces possibly erroneous warnings Product: gcc Version: 4.1.0 Status: UNCONFIRMED Severity: minor Priority: P3 Component: c++ AssignedTo: unassigned at gcc dot gnu dot org ReportedBy: casey dot shaar at pkinetics dot com http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=27941