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From: campbell@maynard.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.computers.vax
Subject: Re: VAX C bug
Message-ID: <8610311541.AA03764@ucbvax.berkeley.edu>
Date: Thu, 30-Oct-86 19:37:28 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8610311541.AA03764
Posted: Thu Oct 30 19:37:28 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Nov-86 03:34:55 EST
References: <8610301127.AA01047@ucbvax.berkeley.edu>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: campbell%maynard.UUCP@harvisr.HARVARD.EDU (Larry Campbell)
Organization: The Boston Software Works, Inc.
Lines: 25
Keywords: C anachronism
Approved: info-vax@sri-kl.arpa
Summary: that's not a bug, it's a feature!

In article <8610301127.AA01047@ucbvax.berkeley.edu> MCDONALD@UMKCVAX1.BITNET writes:
>The following program WON'T compile as is:
 ...
>  pointer=&x;
>  y=*pointer;
 ...
>but will with these changes:
 ...
>  pointer= &x;
>  y= *pointer;
 ...
>Is this a *known* bug??

This isn't a bug, it's a feature.

	pointer =& x;		means		pointer = pointer & x;
	y =* pointer;		means		y = y * pointer;

Check your K&R.  This syntax is considered obsolete, (the current syntax
is "pointer &= x", not "pointer =& x"), but many compilers either support
the old syntax or recognize it and complain about it.
-- 
Larry Campbell       MCI: LCAMPBELL          The Boston Software Works, Inc.
UUCP: {alliant,wjh12}!maynard!campbell      120 Fulton Street, Boston MA 02109
ARPA: campbell%maynard.uucp@harvisr.harvard.edu     (617) 367-6846