Path: utzoo!yunexus!yetti!asst-jos
From: asst-jos@yetti.UUCP (Jonathan)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Using vars to access structures/functions
Message-ID: <329@yetti.UUCP>
Date: 19 Jul 89 13:11:40 GMT
Article-I.D.: yetti.329
Reply-To: asst-jos@yetti.UUCP (Jeffrey Klein)
Organization: York U. Computer Science
Lines: 28


	Is it possible to place the name of a field in a variable, and
then use that variable to reference the field?  For a contrived
example, if I have a structure that has a large number of fields,
and I want to reference a field, by querying the user for the
field name rather than do the following:
	getfieldname(var);
	if ( strcmp(var, "fieldname1") == 0)
		do whatever to field1
	else if (strcmp( var, "fieldname2) == 0)
		do whatever to field2
	else ....

In effect, this is to come up with a general solution to the problem rather
than re-write the code for each situation like this that arises.

	This would apply to pointers to functions as well.  Is it
possible to use the name of a function (read in from the terminal, for
example) to execute the function (assuming that it exists) without creating
a cross reference table first? I have tried this and have been unable to do 
this.  This does not seem possible, but you never know!!! Any and all 
help (flames included :-) ) accepted.  e-mail is welcome.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeffrey Klein
York University, Toronto     UUCP: Uunet!utai!utcsri!yunexus!yuyetti!asst-jos

Standard Disclaimer: 
This is MY opinion, not York University's!!!