Is there a C compiler that fails to compile this?

Question

I was hanging out in my profiler for a while trying to figure out how to speed up a common log parser which was bottlenecked around the date parsing, and I tried various algorithms to speed things up.

The thing I tried that was fastest for me was also by far the most readable, but potentially non-standard C.

This worked quite well in GCC, icc, and my really old and picky SGI compiler. As it's a quite readable optimization, where doesn't it do what I want?

static int parseMonth(const char *input) {
    int rv=-1;
    int inputInt=0;
    int i=0;

    for(i=0; i<4 && input[i]; i++) {
        inputInt = (inputInt << 8) | input[i];
    }

    switch(inputInt) {
        case 'Jan/': rv=0; break;
        case 'Feb/': rv=1; break;
        case 'Mar/': rv=2; break;
        case 'Apr/': rv=3; break;
        case 'May/': rv=4; break;
        case 'Jun/': rv=5; break;
        case 'Jul/': rv=6; break;
        case 'Aug/': rv=7; break;
        case 'Sep/': rv=8; break;
        case 'Oct/': rv=9; break;
        case 'Nov/': rv=10; break;
        case 'Dec/': rv=11; break;
    }
    return rv;
}

Answer 1

Solaris 10 - SPARC - SUN Compiler.

Test code:

#include <stdio.h>

static int parseMonth(const char *input) {
    int rv=-1;
    int inputInt=0;
    int i=0;

    for(i=0; i<4 && input[i]; i++) {
        inputInt = (inputInt << 8) | input[i];
    }

    switch(inputInt) {
        case 'Jan/': rv=0; break;
        case 'Feb/': rv=1; break;
        case 'Mar/': rv=2; break;
        case 'Apr/': rv=3; break;
        case 'May/': rv=4; break;
        case 'Jun/': rv=5; break;
        case 'Jul/': rv=6; break;
        case 'Aug/': rv=7; break;
        case 'Sep/': rv=8; break;
        case 'Oct/': rv=9; break;
        case 'Nov/': rv=10; break;
        case 'Dec/': rv=11; break;
    }

    return rv;
}

static const struct
{
    char *data;
    int   result;
} test_case[] =
{
    { "Jan/", 0 },
    { "Feb/", 1 },
    { "Mar/", 2 },
    { "Apr/", 3 },
    { "May/", 4 },
    { "Jun/", 5 },
    { "Jul/", 6 },
    { "Aug/", 7 },
    { "Sep/", 8 },
    { "Oct/", 9 },
    { "Nov/", 10 },
    { "Dec/", 11 },
    { "aJ/n", -1 },
};

#define DIM(x) (sizeof(x)/sizeof(*(x)))

int main(void)
{
    size_t i;
    int    result;

    for (i = 0; i < DIM(test_case); i++)
    {
        result = parseMonth(test_case[i].data);
        if (result != test_case[i].result)
            printf("!! FAIL !! %s (got %d, wanted %d)\n",
                   test_case[i].data, result, test_case[i].result);
    }
    return(0);
}

Results (GCC 3.4.2 and Sun):

$ gcc -O xx.c -o xx
xx.c:14:14: warning: multi-character character constant
xx.c:15:14: warning: multi-character character constant
xx.c:16:14: warning: multi-character character constant
xx.c:17:14: warning: multi-character character constant
xx.c:18:14: warning: multi-character character constant
xx.c:19:14: warning: multi-character character constant
xx.c:20:14: warning: multi-character character constant
xx.c:21:14: warning: multi-character character constant
xx.c:22:14: warning: multi-character character constant
xx.c:23:14: warning: multi-character character constant
xx.c:24:14: warning: multi-character character constant
xx.c:25:14: warning: multi-character character constant
$ ./xx
$ cc -o xx xx.c
$ ./xx
!! FAIL !! Jan/ (got -1, wanted 0)
!! FAIL !! Feb/ (got -1, wanted 1)
!! FAIL !! Mar/ (got -1, wanted 2)
!! FAIL !! Apr/ (got -1, wanted 3)
!! FAIL !! May/ (got -1, wanted 4)
!! FAIL !! Jun/ (got -1, wanted 5)
!! FAIL !! Jul/ (got -1, wanted 6)
!! FAIL !! Aug/ (got -1, wanted 7)
!! FAIL !! Sep/ (got -1, wanted 8)
!! FAIL !! Oct/ (got -1, wanted 9)
!! FAIL !! Nov/ (got -1, wanted 10)
!! FAIL !! Dec/ (got -1, wanted 11)
$

Note that the last test case still passed - that is, it generated a -1.

Here's a revised - more verbose - version of parseMonth() which does work the same under both GCC and Sun C compiler:

#include <stdio.h>

/* MONTH_CODE("Jan/") does not reduce to an integer constant */
#define MONTH_CODE(x)   ((((((x[0]<<8)|x[1])<<8)|x[2])<<8)|x[3])

#define MONTH_JAN       (((((('J'<<8)|'a')<<8)|'n')<<8)|'/')
#define MONTH_FEB       (((((('F'<<8)|'e')<<8)|'b')<<8)|'/')
#define MONTH_MAR       (((((('M'<<8)|'a')<<8)|'r')<<8)|'/')
#define MONTH_APR       (((((('A'<<8)|'p')<<8)|'r')<<8)|'/')
#define MONTH_MAY       (((((('M'<<8)|'a')<<8)|'y')<<8)|'/')
#define MONTH_JUN       (((((('J'<<8)|'u')<<8)|'n')<<8)|'/')
#define MONTH_JUL       (((((('J'<<8)|'u')<<8)|'l')<<8)|'/')
#define MONTH_AUG       (((((('A'<<8)|'u')<<8)|'g')<<8)|'/')
#define MONTH_SEP       (((((('S'<<8)|'e')<<8)|'p')<<8)|'/')
#define MONTH_OCT       (((((('O'<<8)|'c')<<8)|'t')<<8)|'/')
#define MONTH_NOV       (((((('N'<<8)|'o')<<8)|'v')<<8)|'/')
#define MONTH_DEC       (((((('D'<<8)|'e')<<8)|'c')<<8)|'/')

static int parseMonth(const char *input) {
    int rv=-1;
    int inputInt=0;
    int i=0;

    for(i=0; i<4 && input[i]; i++) {
        inputInt = (inputInt << 8) | input[i];
    }

    switch(inputInt) {
        case MONTH_JAN: rv=0; break;
        case MONTH_FEB: rv=1; break;
        case MONTH_MAR: rv=2; break;
        case MONTH_APR: rv=3; break;
        case MONTH_MAY: rv=4; break;
        case MONTH_JUN: rv=5; break;
        case MONTH_JUL: rv=6; break;
        case MONTH_AUG: rv=7; break;
        case MONTH_SEP: rv=8; break;
        case MONTH_OCT: rv=9; break;
        case MONTH_NOV: rv=10; break;
        case MONTH_DEC: rv=11; break;
    }

    return rv;
}

static const struct
{
    char *data;
    int   result;
} test_case[] =
{
    { "Jan/", 0 },
    { "Feb/", 1 },
    { "Mar/", 2 },
    { "Apr/", 3 },
    { "May/", 4 },
    { "Jun/", 5 },
    { "Jul/", 6 },
    { "Aug/", 7 },
    { "Sep/", 8 },
    { "Oct/", 9 },
    { "Nov/", 10 },
    { "Dec/", 11 },
    { "aJ/n", -1 },
    { "/naJ", -1 },
};

#define DIM(x) (sizeof(x)/sizeof(*(x)))

int main(void)
{
    size_t i;
    int    result;

    for (i = 0; i < DIM(test_case); i++)
    {
        result = parseMonth(test_case[i].data);
        if (result != test_case[i].result)
            printf("!! FAIL !! %s (got %d, wanted %d)\n",
                   test_case[i].data, result, test_case[i].result);
    }
    return(0);
}

I wanted to use MONTH_CODE() but the compilers did not cooperate.

Answer 2

if ( !input[0] || !input[1] || !input[2] || input[3] != '/' )
    return -1;

switch ( input[0] )
{
    case 'F': return 1; // Feb
    case 'S': return 8; // Sep
    case 'O': return 9; // Oct
    case 'N': return 10; // Nov
    case 'D': return 11; // Dec;
    case 'A': return input[1] == 'p' ? 3 : 7; // Apr, Aug
    case 'M': return input[2] == 'r' ? 2 : 4; // Mar, May
    default: return input[1] == 'a' ? 0 : (input[2] == 'n' ? 5 : 6); // Jan, Jun, Jul
}

Slightly less readable and not so much validating, but perhaps even faster, no?

Answer 3

You're just computing a hash of those four characters. Why not predefine some integer constants that compute the hash in the same way and use those? Same readability and you're not depending on any implementation specific idiosyncrasies of the compiler.

uint32_t MONTH_JAN = 'J' << 24 + 'a' << 16 + 'n' << 8 + '/';
uint32_t MONTH_FEB = 'F' << 24 + 'e' << 16 + 'b' << 8 + '/';

...

static uint32_t parseMonth(const char *input) {
    uint32_t rv=-1;
    uint32_t inputInt=0;
    int i=0;

    for(i=0; i<4 && input[i]; i++) {
        inputInt = (inputInt << 8) | (input[i] & 0x7f); // clear top bit
    }

    switch(inputInt) {
        case MONTH_JAN: rv=0; break;
        case MONTH_FEB: rv=1; break;

        ...
    }

    return rv;
}

Answer 4

I only know what the C Standard says about this (C99):

The value of an integer character constant containing more than one character (e.g., 'ab'), or containing a character or escape sequence that does not map to a single-byte execution character, is implementation-defined. If an integer character constant contains a single character or escape sequence, its value is the one that results when an object with type char whose value is that of the single character or escape sequence is converted to type int.

(6.4.4.4/10 taken from a draft)

So it's implementation defined. Meaning it is not guaranteed it works the same everywhere, but the behavior must be documented by the implementation. For example if int is only 16 bits wide in a particular implementation, then 'Jan/' can't be represented anymore like you intend it (char must be at least 8 bits, while a character literal is always of type int).

Answer 5

char *months = "Jan/Feb/Mar/Apr/May/Jun/Jul/Aug/Sep/Oct/Nov/Dec/";
char *p = strnstr(months, input, 4);
return p ? (p - months) / 4 : -1;

Answer 6

There are at least 3 things that keep this program from being portable:

1. Multi-character constants are implementation-defined so different compilers may handle them differently.
2. A byte can be more than 8 bits, there is plenty of hardware where the smallest addressable unit of memory is 16 or even 32 bits, you often find this in DSPs for example. If a byte is more than 8 bits then so will char since char is by definition one byte long; your program will not function properly on such systems.
3. Lastly, there are many machines where int is only 16-bits (which is the smallest size allowed for int) including embedded devices and legacy machines, your program will fail on these machines as well.

Answer 7

National Instrument's CVI 8.5 for Windows compiler fails on your original code with multiple warnings:

  Warning: Excess characters in multibyte character literal ignored.

and errors of the form:

  Duplicate case label '77'.

It succeeds on Jonathan's code.

Answer 8

I get warnings, but no errors (gcc). Seems to compile and operate fine. May not work for big-endian systems, though!

I wouldn't suggest this method, though. Perhaps you can xor instead of or-shift, to create a single byte. Then use the case statement on a byte (or, faster, use a LUT of the first N bits).

Answer 9

The fact that a four character constant is equivalent to an particular 32-bit integer is a non-standard feature often seen on compilers for MS Windows and Mac computers (and PalmOS, AFAICR).

On theses systems a four character string is commonly used as a tag for identifying chunks of data files, or as an application / data-type identifier (e.g. "APPL").

It's a convenience then for the developer that they can store such a string into various data-structures without worrying about zero-byte termination, pointers, etc.

Answer 10

Comeau compiler

Comeau C/C++ 4.3.10.1 (Oct  6 2008 11:28:09) for ONLINE_EVALUATION_BETA2
Copyright 1988-2008 Comeau Computing.  All rights reserved.
MODE:strict errors C99 

"ComeauTest.c", line 11: warning: multicharacter character literal (potential
          portability problem)
          case 'Jan/': rv=0; break;
               ^

"ComeauTest.c", line 12: warning: multicharacter character literal (potential
          portability problem)
          case 'Feb/': rv=1; break;
               ^

"ComeauTest.c", line 13: warning: multicharacter character literal (potential
          portability problem)
          case 'Mar/': rv=2; break;
               ^

"ComeauTest.c", line 14: warning: multicharacter character literal (potential
          portability problem)
          case 'Apr/': rv=3; break;
               ^

"ComeauTest.c", line 15: warning: multicharacter character literal (potential
          portability problem)
          case 'May/': rv=4; break;
               ^

"ComeauTest.c", line 16: warning: multicharacter character literal (potential
          portability problem)
          case 'Jun/': rv=5; break;
               ^

"ComeauTest.c", line 17: warning: multicharacter character literal (potential
          portability problem)
          case 'Jul/': rv=6; break;
               ^

"ComeauTest.c", line 18: warning: multicharacter character literal (potential
          portability problem)
          case 'Aug/': rv=7; break;
               ^

"ComeauTest.c", line 19: warning: multicharacter character literal (potential
          portability problem)
          case 'Sep/': rv=8; break;
               ^

"ComeauTest.c", line 20: warning: multicharacter character literal (potential
          portability problem)
          case 'Oct/': rv=9; break;
               ^

"ComeauTest.c", line 21: warning: multicharacter character literal (potential
          portability problem)
          case 'Nov/': rv=10; break;
               ^

"ComeauTest.c", line 22: warning: multicharacter character literal (potential
          portability problem)
          case 'Dec/': rv=11; break;
               ^

"ComeauTest.c", line 1: warning: function "parseMonth" was declared but never
          referenced
  static int parseMonth(const char *input) {
             ^

Answer 11

Machine word size issues aside, your compiler may promote input[i] to a negative integer which will just set the upper bits of inputInt with or operation, so I suggest you to be explicit about signedness of char variables.

But since in US, no one cares about the 8th bit, it is probably a non-issue for you.

Answer 12

I'd sure love to see the profiling that shows this is your most significant bottleneck, but in any case if you're going to pull something like this, use a union instead of 50 instructions looping and shifting. Here's a little example program, I'll leave it to you to fit it into your program.

/* union -- demonstrate union for characters */

#include <stdio.h>

union c4_i {
    char c4[5];
    int  i ;
} ;

union c4_i ex;

int main (){
    ex.c4[0] = 'a';
    ex.c4[1] = 'b';
    ex.c4[2] = 'c';
    ex.c4[3] = 'd';
    ex.c4[4] = '\0';
    printf("%s 0x%08x\n", ex.c4, ex.i );
    return 0;
}

Here's example output:

bash $ ./union
abcd 0x64636261
bash $ 

Answer 13

As mentioned by others, that code throws a bunch of warnings and is probably not endian-safe.

Was your original date parser hand-written as well? Have you tried strptime(3)?