Re: [PATCH 2/3] ci: add build checking for side-effects in assert() calls

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Mar 17, 2025, 22:27 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqqo6xz70oh.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To: <CABPp-BF1LgdafW+PHmttuhHL1OOHPTsGpOTVuG_A0SSH5cbfbg@mail.gmail.com>

Elijah Newren <newren@gmail.com> writes:

Show 11 quoted lines

>> >> +extern int not_supposed_to_survive;
>> >> +#define assert(expr) ((void)(not_supposed_to_survive || (expr)))
>> >
>> > , which serve as the core trick, I had used elsewhere before.
>>
>> It may be arguable that it is too small to be copyrightable and
>> there is no other way to express the idea behind that check, but
>> in any case ...
>
> That's what I had been assuming, but then you, brian, and Taylor all
> pointed out how clever it was making me think otherwise.

Heh, cleverness lies in the idea, not the expression, and copyright is about expression.

> Turns out we don't need an alternative.  I contacted the author, who
> responded and placed the two-liner into the public domain with no
> warranty of any kind.  I'll send a re-roll with an updated commit
> message.

Wonderful.  That is the best solution.

Thanks.