Why size of sockaddr smaller than size of sockaddr_in6?

[Zheng, Jeff]

I thought that sockaddr should hold sockaddr_in sockaddr_in6 and any other socket address (or at least sockaddr_in6). 
Current definition:
struct sockaddr
  {
    __SOCKADDR_COMMON (sa_);    /* Common data: address family and length.  */
    char sa_data[14];           /* Address data.  */
  };

Can be:
struct sockaddr
  {
    __SOCKADDR_COMMON (sa_);    /* Common data: address family and length.  */
    char sa_data[28];           /* Address data.  */
  };

Is there any reason not to hold sockaddr_in6 in sockaddr?

Please CC the answers/comments posted to the list in response to my posting to me. 


> Thanks
> Jeff                        Jeff.Zheng@xxxxxxxxx
> BTW, I speak for myself, not for Intel Corp.
> 
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