> struct field alignment/padding isn't part of the C spec iirc
It's part of the ABI spec. It's true that C evolved in an ad hoc way and so the formal rigor got spread around to a bunch of different stakeholders. It's not true that C is a lawless wasteland where all behavior is subject to capricious and random whims, which is an attitude I see a lot in some communities.
People write low level software to deal with memory layout and alignment every day in C, have for fourty years, and aren't stopping any time soon.
It's part of the ABI spec. It's true that C evolved in an ad hoc way and so the formal rigor got spread around to a bunch of different stakeholders. It's not true that C is a lawless wasteland where all behavior is subject to capricious and random whims, which is an attitude I see a lot in some communities.
People write low level software to deal with memory layout and alignment every day in C, have for fourty years, and aren't stopping any time soon.