Defect Report #335

Submitter: Fred Tydeman (USA)
Submission Date: 2006-12-12
Source: WG 14
Reference Document: ISO/IEC WG14 N1204,  ISO/IEC WG14 DR 262,  ISO/IEC WG14 DR 315
Version: 1.3
Date: 2008-07-21
Subject:_Bool bit-fields

Summary

What are the constraints on and semantics of _Bool bit-fields?

  #include <stdbool.h>
  struct bits {
      _Bool    bbf1 : 1;        /* unsigned 1-bit _Bool bit-field */
      _Bool    bbf3 : 3;        /* unsigned 3-bit _Bool bit-field */
  } bits;
  int main(void){
    bits.bbf1 = true;              /* the value 1u */
    bits.bbf1 = ~ bits.bbf1;       /* undefined? 0u? 1u? */
    bits.bbf3 = true;              /* the value 1u */
    bits.bbf3 = ~ bits.bbf3;       /* undefined? 0u? 1u? 6u? */
    return 0;
  }

What is the maximum width of a _Bool bit-field allowed that does not cause a constraint violation? 1? CHAR_BIT? Something else? Is bbf3 a constraint violation?

DR 262 changed 6.7.2.1#3 to require a constraint violation if a bit-field width is too large.

6.2.5#2 says _Bool can hold the values 0 and 1.

6.2.6.2#6 discusses width.

I see nothing that says the width of a _Bool is 1.

6.7.2.1#9 has: If the value 0 or 1 is stored into a nonzero-width bit-field of type _Bool, the value of the bit-field shall compare equal to the value stored.

So, if a value other than 0 or 1 is stored into a nonzero-width bit-field of type _Bool, is that undefined?

The first assignment gives the bit-field the value 1u. The ~ of that value yields ...1111110u. When that value is then stored into the _Bool bit-field, what value is stored?

• 0u since it is a 1-bit unsigned int field.
• 1u since it is a _Bool (and the value is non-zero).
• 6u since it is a 3-bit unsigned int field.
• Undefined.

6.3.1.2 Boolean type has: When any scalar value is converted to _Bool, the result is 0 if the value compares equal to 0; otherwise, the result is 1.

6.7.2.1#9 has: A bit-field is interpreted as a signed or unsigned integer type consisting of the specified number of bits.

So, does a _Bool bit-field have the semantics of a _Bool (as per 6.3.1.2) or of an unsigned integer type (as per 6.7.2.1)? DR 315 might be relevant.

Suggested Technical Corrigendum

Proposed Technical Corrigendum

Committee Discussion (for history only)

Spring 2007

The width of a _Bool bit-field is at most the implementation defined width of the type _Bool. A _Bool bit-field has the semantics of a _Bool (and not an unsigned int).

Spring 2008

6.7.2.1 paragraph 3 covers the above Committee discussion. (9899:1999 + TC1 + TC 2 + TC3)

The expression that specifies the width of a bit-field shall be an integer constant expression with a nonnegative value that does not exceed the width of an object of the type that would be specified were the colon and expression omitted.

Therefore the width of a _Bool bit-field is at most the implementation-defined width of the type _Bool.

Committee Response

6.2.5 paragraph 6 states that

The type _Bool and the unsigned integer types that correspond to the standard signed integer types are the standard unsigned integer types.

A _Bool bit-field has the semantics of a _Bool (and not unsigned int).

6.7.2.1 paragraph 3 (9899:1999 + TC1 + TC 2 + TC3) states that

The expression that specifies the width of a bit-field shall be an integer constant expression with a nonnegative value that does not exceed the width of an object of the type that would be specified were the colon and expression omitted.

The width of a _Bool bit-field is at most the implementation-defined width of the type _Bool.

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