GCC 5 Might Switch Its Default C Version To "GNU11"

The GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) might finally be switching over its default C standard from the C89-derived GNU89 to the much more modern ISO C11-based GNU11.

The GNU11 dialect of C11 might be the default C standard for the upcoming GCC 5 release. GCC developers have planned to ultimately move over from GNU89 to GNU11 as the default implementation for their compiler while Marek Polacek of Red Hat is trying to get the ball rolling for this next release due out in H1'2015.

GCC has provided full support for C11 and its GNU11 dialect already, but this change is making it finally replace GNU89 as the default language standard when no other switches are provided. The C11 revision brought an alignment specification, multi-threading support, static assertions, and various other enhancements over the former C99 standard.

Marek Polacek wrote, "I'd like to kick off a discussion about moving the default standardfor C from gnu89 to gnu11. This really shouldn't be much of a surprise: the docs mention that gnu11 is intended future default for a year now. I would presume now is a good time to make this move: together with the new naming scheme this should make GCC more modern (C89 really is as old as the hills). And we're still in stage1."

While no other upstream GCC developers have commented on Marek's message yet, hopefully this will get things moving for making GCC 5 a very interesting compiler update.