Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!columbia!rutgers!ames!ptsfa!hoptoad!academ!killer!jfh
From: jfh@killer.UUCP (John Haugh)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Another portable code question
Message-ID: <1019@killer.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 19-Jun-87 13:13:44 EDT
Article-I.D.: killer.1019
Posted: Fri Jun 19 13:13:44 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 25-Jun-87 06:40:23 EDT
References: <16673@cca.CCA.COM> <1763@ttrdc.UUCP> <16769@cca.CCA.COM>
Organization: The Unix(tm) Connection, Dallas, Texas
Lines: 40
Summary: Wrong usage.

In article <16769@cca.CCA.COM>, g-rh@cca.CCA.COM (Richard Harter) writes:
> In article <1763@ttrdc.UUCP> levy@ttrdc.UUCP (Daniel R. Levy) writes:
> >< ....
> >< (*command)(args);
> >< ....
> 
> 	As I recall, the warning was to the effect that the * was not
> needed.  As to lint.  I trimmed the code -- the actual statement was
> of the for 'value = (*command)(args))'...

Sorry if this has been said this week, I said it a few weeks back.
Function declarations are wierd in C.  The only language that seems
to get pointers reasonably normal (or non-wierd) is BLISS.  But then I
hate all of those silly little dots.  [ This is just inews fodder ]

Heres the short form on function declarations.  Write Dennis if you
want more, or better still go buy the book.

int	func();			/* function returning integer */
int	*func();		/* function returning pointer to integer */
int	(*func)();		/* pointer to function returning integer */
int	*(*func)();		/* pointer to function returning * to int */

How do you use these guys to get an integer after you call them?

	i = func ();		/* returns integer, use that */
	i = *(func ());		/* returns pointer, dereference it */
	i = (func) ();		/* use pointer, take return value */
	i = *((func) ());	/* use pointer, dereference return value */
 
There it is in a nutshell, you really don't need the * unless the function
is declared int (**func)();, then you have pointer to pointer to a function
returning an integer.

> Richard Harter, SMDS Inc. [Disclaimers not permitted by company policy.]

- John.

Disclaimer:
	No disclaimer.  Whatcha gonna do, sue me?