"implementation" here means an implementation of the C standard (ergo a compiler toolchain). The full text is this: > 1. Existing code is important, existing

"implementation" here means an implementation of the C standard (ergo a compiler toolchain). The full text is this: > 1. Existing code is important, existing implementations are not. A large body of C code exists of considerable commercial value. Every attempt has been made to ensure that the bulk of this code will be acceptable to any implementation conforming to the Standard. The Committee did not want to force most programmers to modify their C programs just to have them accepted by a conforming translator.