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From: chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Creeping ADAisms in C
Message-ID: <6539@mimsy.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-May-87 02:51:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: mimsy.6539
Posted: Mon May  4 02:51:22 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 5-May-87 00:39:37 EDT
References: <1535@umn-cs.UUCP>
Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742
Lines: 32
Keywords: jargon

In article <1535@umn-cs.UUCP> papowell@umn-cs.UUCP (Patrick Powell) writes:
>A function prototype is a declaration of the TYPE of a function.  So
>why not call it a function declaration, and the place where you define
>it, a function DEFINITION?

At a guess, the reason these are called `function prototypes' rather
than `function declarations' is that `function declaration' already
means something else.  Specifically, in

	main(argc, argv)
		...
	{
		double atof();
		...

`double atof()' is a function declaration [K&R, p. 70].  The proper
prototype is

		double atof(char *);

while the prototype for a function of no arguments is, e.g.,

		long random(void);

(which I think horrid).

(If you want to see strong typing done right, look at Mesa.)

(Incidentally, `K&R' and `dpANS' are jargon, too.)
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7690)
Domain:	chris@mimsy.umd.edu	Path:	seismo!mimsy!chris