Re: [PATCH next] minmax.h: Use auto for variables in __minmax_array()

[Andrew Morton]

On Fri,  6 Feb 2026 22:25:54 +0000 david.laight.linux@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

> From: David Laight <david.laight.linux@xxxxxxxxx>
> 
> While 'auto __element = _array[--__len]' should remove 'const',
> gcc prior to version 11 are buggy and retain it.

With what effect?

> However forcing an integer promotion by adding zero does work.
> 
> Promoting signed/unsigned char and short to int doesn't matter here,
> that happens as soon as the value is used.
> 
> Type type of the result (for char/short arrays) changes, but the value

s/Type type/Type/ ?

> will always be promoted to int before it is used (for any purpose) so
> it isn't even worth casting the type back - all that is likely to do
> is make the compiler explicitly mask it to 8/16 bits before it is
> immediately promoted back to int.

I'm not understanding the motivation for this change.  Is there some
compilation issue to be addressed?