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From: robert@erix.UUCP (Robert Virding)
Newsgroups: net.lang.c
Subject: Re: extern declaration inconsistency
Message-ID: <326@erix.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 6-Apr-84 14:24:13 EST
Article-I.D.: erix.326
Posted: Fri Apr  6 14:24:13 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 8-Apr-84 01:41:29 EST
References: <1538@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Organization: L M Ericsson, Stockholm, Sweden
Lines: 16

This is one instance when a pointer is not the same as an array. When the
compiler sees

extern char *ch;

it assumes that ch is a pointer to a string of char. However when the
compiler sees

extern char ch[];

it assumes that ch IS the actual string, not a pointer. The difference in
the code generated is how it actually references the external variable ch.

I have also come across this feature in writing programs.

			Robert Virding  @ L M Ericsson, Stockholm