Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by kwijibob 1574 days ago
Does C standard naming have a Y2K problem? :)
2 comments

Given C's ubiquity and (likely) longevity it'll have a Y2k89 problem: standards released in 2089 and beyond will have to change their naming schema and/or avoid being standardized in particular years. ;)
> or avoid being standardized in particular years.

That's a very "legacy code" way of avoiding the problem, it's just a great option for a centenary frozen language.

"Oh, no, look, C98 is from 2198. Do not confuse it with C97 that was settled in 2097."

Not until 2089.
The C standards aren't published at a regular interval of 10 years. They are published as needed or as agreed upon. So it is possible there may be a C standard published in 2089, but highly unlikely.

It's similar to but not quite the same thing as the Y2K problem.

So it is like a hashtable collision