Bulletin number:  282
Products affected: D711D D611A D511A
Description: global variables smaller than word in size
Component: compiler
Date: Mon May 21 14:00:28 BST 1990
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When the C compiler compiles a global variable declaration, whose size
is less than the length of a word (e.g. a char variable), before an
external variable declaration, whose size is greater than or equal to
the length of a word (e.g. an int variable), can result in the compiler
generating one of the following fatal error messages:

	Fatal error -- error in P3/13; please submit a CSR

or

	Fatal error -- error in Load/4; please submit a CSR

For example, the first error message can be generated when the following
C statements are compiled:

	char a;
	extern int b;

and the second error message can be generated when the following C
statements are compiled:

	char a;
	void char_error()
	{
	  extern int b;
	  b = 0;
	}

This problem can be avoided by reversing the order of the variable
declarations so that the external int variable declaration appears
before the global char variable declaration. In general it is advisable
to ensure that all external variable declarations appear before any
global char variable declarations.