Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!uwm.edu!spool.mu.edu!munnari.oz.au!comp.vuw.ac.nz!gnat From: gnat@kauri.vuw.ac.nz (Nathan Torkington) Newsgroups: comp.lang.c Subject: Re: Zero/nil/NULL/NUL/0/... a clarification Message-ID: Date: 21 Apr 91 02:41:04 GMT References: Sender: news@comp.vuw.ac.nz (News Admin) Organization: Contract Programmer, CSC, Victoria Uni, Wellington, New Zealand Lines: 31 Nntp-Posting-Host: kauri.vuw.ac.nz In-Reply-To: ckp@grebyn.com's message of 20 Apr 91 13: 48:39 GMT I wasn't clear enough on some points and I was wrong on others. My request still stands : >I have read the FAQ and this doesn't seem to be what I'm after. What I >am looking for is an explicit list of things which 0 (zero decimal, zero >octal, zero hexadecimal, etc) stand for. So far I have : > -> The number zero (in any base) tmb@ai.mit.edu (Thomas M. Breuel) said quite rightly : Zero in base 16 must be written 0x0 as 0 by itself is always read as decimal. You must give a suffix/prefix to show which base is meant. > -> The unused pointer (in some machines) I wasn't clear enough. "Unused" meaning that you the programmer have set it to NULL (0) to indicate that it doesn't point to meaningful data; it is not being used to point to meaningful data. > -> The null character (ASCII, etc) NUL (bit pattern 00000000) is the ASCII symbol for bit pattern 00000000. This is different from 'no character read' indications. > -> End of file (EOF) I was wrong. This is not zero. > -> Not true (FALSE) At least I didn't get *this* wrong. Nat. -- Nathan Torkington Contracting to CSC, Internet: gnat@kauri.vuw.ac.nz Victoria University Of Wellington, WetComms: +64 4 853 881 (post-chronos) P.O. Box 600, New Zealand. This is not an official communication of any part of Victoria University. WIDDICOMBE (n.) The sort of person who impersonates trimphones. - "The Meaning Of Liff" by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd