[cfe-dev] LibC++ v3.8 - Problems with ISO C wrapper headers

[Howard Hinnant via cfe-dev]

It was *never* intended to add the C++ overloads to the global namespace.

I can now see how that is indeed what is written.  Believe me, it was the farthest thought from *anyone’s* mind when these words were voted in.  This is demonstrable by looking at the issue which introduced these words:

http://cplusplus.github.io/LWG/lwg-defects.html#456

The description includes:

> The C headers are often beyond the direct control of C++ implementors. In some organizations, it's all they can do to get a few #ifdef __cplusplus tests added. Third-party library vendors can perhaps wrap the C headers. But neither of these approaches supports the drastic restructuring required by the C++ Standard. As a result, it is still widespread practice to ignore this conformance requirement, nearly seven years after the committee last debated this topic. Instead, what is often implemented is:
> 
> 	• Including the header <xxx.h> declares a C name in the global namespace.
> 	• Including the header <cxxx> declares a C name in the global namespace (effectively by including <xxx.h>), then imports it into namespace std with an individual using declaration.

This was the issue:  C++ lib vendors *not having control* over the C headers.  The furthest thing from our mind was adding *more* stuff to the C headers!

Martin is 100% correct as far as historical intent goes.  The mis-interpretation of these words by Richard and Eric is evidence that the standard remains buggy in this area.

Howard