What do you expect the gcc CRT to emulate?

Nothing. stat (via _stat64) is available from msvcrt.dll, as documented by Microsoft. For the return value, MS writes:

Each of these functions returns 0 if the file-status information is obtained. A return value of –1 indicates an error, in which case errno is set to ENOENT, indicating that the filename or path could not be found. A return value of EINVAL indicates an invalid parameter; errno is also set to EINVAL in this case.

So, let's have a look at errno:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <errno.h>
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>

int main( int argc, char **argv ) {
    struct _stat buf1, buf2;
    char *file = "\"\"";

    printf("ENOENT=%d  EINVAL=%d\n",ENOENT,EINVAL);

    printf( "for %s; stat returned: %d\n", file, _stat( file, &buf1 ) 
+);

    printf(
        "gid: %d\natime:%I64x\nctime:%I64x\ndrive:%d\n"
        "inode:%d\nmode:%x\nmtime:%I64x\nnlink:%d\nrdev:%d\n"
        "size:%d\nuid:%d\nerrno:%d\n",
        buf1.st_gid, buf1.st_atime, buf1.st_ctime, buf1.st_dev,
        buf1.st_ino, buf1.st_mode, buf1.st_mtime, buf1.st_nlink, buf1.
+st_rdev,
        buf1.st_size, buf1.st_uid, errno
    );

    printf( "\nFor %s; stat returned: %d\n", argv[1], _stat( argv[1], 
+&buf2 ) );

    printf(
        "gid: %d\natime:%I64x\nctime:%I64x\ndrive:%d\n"
        "inode:%d\nmode:%x\nmtime:%I64x\nnlink:%d\nrdev:%d\n"
        "size:%d\nuid:%d\nerrno:%d\n",
        buf2.st_gid, buf2.st_atime, buf2.st_ctime, buf2.st_dev,
        buf2.st_ino, buf2.st_mode, buf2.st_mtime, buf2.st_nlink, buf2.
+st_rdev,
        buf2.st_size, buf2.st_uid, errno
    );

    return 1;
}
[download]

Output:

X:\>979536.exe
ENOENT=2  EINVAL=22
for ""; stat returned: -1
gid: 0
atime:0
ctime:0
drive:0
inode:0
mode:0
mtime:0
nlink:0
rdev:0
size:0
uid:0
errno:2

For (null); stat returned: -1
gid: 0
atime:0
ctime:0
drive:0
inode:0
mode:0
mtime:0
nlink:0
rdev:0
size:0
uid:0
errno:22

X:\>979536.exe .
ENOENT=2  EINVAL=22
for ""; stat returned: -1
gid: 0
atime:0
ctime:0
drive:0
inode:0
mode:0
mtime:0
nlink:0
rdev:0
size:0
uid:0
errno:2

For .; stat returned: 0
gid: 0
atime:12ce97f0
ctime:12ce97f0
drive:23
inode:0
mode:41ff
mtime:12ce97f0
nlink:1
rdev:23
size:0
uid:0
errno:2

X:\>979536.exe 979536.exe
ENOENT=2  EINVAL=22
for ""; stat returned: -1
gid: 0
atime:0
ctime:0
drive:0
inode:0
mode:0
mtime:0
nlink:0
rdev:0
size:0
uid:0
errno:2

For 979536.exe; stat returned: 0
gid: 0
atime:4ff4bce0
ctime:4ff5ebed
drive:23
inode:0
mode:81ff
mtime:4ff5f368
nlink:1
rdev:23
size:121535
uid:0
errno:2

X:\>
[download]

I think this is what one should expect. The file "" does not exist, and NULL is an invalid parameter. For the current directory and the exe file, stat() returns 0, as expected, and errno is not touched at all, so it stays 2 from the previously failed stat().

Alexander

I think ...

Sorry. But you are still wrong.

Trying to draw conclusions about what the MS compiler does, from what you can observe from compiling similar code using the Mingw; is like trying to draw conclusions about the AC Cobra from driving a DAX 427 kit car.

Observe:

<Reveal this spoiler or all in this thread>

That code, compiled with an MS compiler, doesn't import anything from msvcrt.dll!

I'll let you work out why for yourself.

---

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Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.

"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".

In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.

The start of some sanity?