Reduce discussion of types to which size_t may be equivalent.

2 files changed, 8 insertions, 16 deletions

diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 6e4f7c47d2..38772bbbba 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2012-03-05  Joseph Myers  <joseph@codesourcery.com>
+
+	* manual/lang.texi (size_t): Note types to which size_t may be
+	equivalent with the GNU C Library, but do not describe when
+	differences between them are significant.
+
 2012-03-05  Andreas Jaeger  <aj@suse.de>
 
 	* sysdeps/i386/fpu/libm-test-ulps: Update.
diff --git a/manual/lang.texi b/manual/lang.texi
index 2a73c723b4..6cb7371aab 100644
--- a/manual/lang.texi
+++ b/manual/lang.texi
@@ -629,27 +629,13 @@ This is an unsigned integer type used to represent the sizes of objects.
 The result of the @code{sizeof} operator is of this type, and functions
 such as @code{malloc} (@pxref{Unconstrained Allocation}) and
 @code{memcpy} (@pxref{Copying and Concatenation}) accept arguments of
-this type to specify object sizes.
+this type to specify object sizes.  On systems using @theglibc{}, this
+will be @w{@code{unsigned int}} or @w{@code{unsigned long int}}.
 
 @strong{Usage Note:} @code{size_t} is the preferred way to declare any
 arguments or variables that hold the size of an object.
 @end deftp
 
-In the GNU system @code{size_t} is equivalent to either
-@w{@code{unsigned int}} or @w{@code{unsigned long int}}.  These types
-have identical properties on the GNU system and, for most purposes, you
-can use them interchangeably.  However, they are distinct as data types,
-which makes a difference in certain contexts.
-
-For example, when you specify the type of a function argument in a
-function prototype, it makes a difference which one you use.  If the
-system header files declare @code{malloc} with an argument of type
-@code{size_t} and you declare @code{malloc} with an argument of type
-@code{unsigned int}, you will get a compilation error if @code{size_t}
-happens to be @code{unsigned long int} on your system.  To avoid any
-possibility of error, when a function argument or value is supposed to
-have type @code{size_t}, never declare its type in any other way.
-
 @strong{Compatibility Note:} Implementations of C before the advent of
 @w{ISO C} generally used @code{unsigned int} for representing object sizes
 and @code{int} for pointer subtraction results.  They did not