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From: dorner@pequod.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Dorner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Char * and char[]
Keywords: pointers, arrays
Message-ID: <1991Jun14.154923.8754@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: 14 Jun 91 15:49:23 GMT
References: <1569@caslon.cs.arizona.edu> <1991Jun14.132530.12254@terminator.cc.umich.edu>
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Organization: University of Illinois at U-C
Lines: 44

In article <1991Jun14.132530.12254@terminator.cc.umich.edu> potts@us.cc.umich.edu (Paul Potts) writes:
>Why not do the following:
>
>char name [30] = "\PNo Name";

Cause you can't initialize automatic arrays, for one.  'Sides, strings
don't belong in mac programs; resources should be used.  (Pedantic but true.)

>cp = "\PNo Name";  (cp is implicitly a pointer to char if you do this).

No, your statement is an illegal attempt to assign a pointer (to "\PNo Name")
to an int (which is what cp be implicitly declared to be, if your compiler
engages in implicit behavior (some do, some don't)).

> &(theDecker.name[0])

Completely synonymous with theDecker.name; just less efficient notationally
(and computationally, if you have an incredibly stupid compiler, which are
distressingly common).

>you will need to cast it as a pointer to char:
>
>(char*)&(theDecker.name[0])

Not if "name" is declared as "char name[30]".

>If anyone
>finds that I am claiming something incorrectly, please declaim a correction
>on the net.

You've got a decent handle on these things conceptually, it's just the
niggling details...

And an aside for MPW sufferers:

>   p = &a;
>That is illegal in ANSI C because &a is a pointer to an array but
>p is a pointer to an int."

But it's required in SADE (they wouldn't call it SADE if it were pleasant,
now would they?).  :-)
--
Steve Dorner, U of Illinois Computing Services Office
Internet: s-dorner@uiuc.edu  UUCP: uunet!uiucuxc!uiuc.edu!s-dorner