Re: At sign ``@'' in key

[Dave Dodge <dododge@...>]

On Sun, Dec 23, 2012 at 03:33:43PM +0100, Florian Weimer wrote:
> >> GCC allows $ in identifiers as a C extension
> 
> > I think that's because it's a compiler extension, and intended only
> > for internal use?
> 
> It's for VMS compatibility, where most system APIs have a $ in their
> names.

Also some old Unix vendor C compilers and libraries.  For example if
you were writing GUI code for Apollo workstations in the 1980s nearly
every type name or function in the API was something like
gpr_$window_list_t or pad_$create_window().

I think even Apollo did it mostly for compatibility with their older
Pascal-based API, but because it was so common in the system libraries
it could trickle into new code as well.  Anyone who wanted to compile
C code originally written on Domain/OS definitely had to support it.

                                                  -Dave Dodge