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From: dsill@NSWC-OAS.arpa (Dave Sill)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: weird c code/ c test
Message-ID: <8617@brl-adm.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 3-Aug-87 10:02:05 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-adm.8617
Posted: Mon Aug  3 10:02:05 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 4-Aug-87 06:13:48 EDT
Sender: news@brl-adm.ARPA
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Thomas J Keller <gilsys!mc68020> wrote:
>   I just had a strange experience today.  I went to see a head hunter about
>an opening she wanted me to consider, and she popped this "C test" on me.
>Most of it was pretty straight forward, but the last question on the test
>was a **BITCH**.  See if you can determine the output of this program 
>without actually compiling it:
>
>   [code deleted]
>
>   I do question this as a test, however.  That is some pretty esoteric
>pointer manipulation there!  What do you think?

Deja vu (dang! no French characters on this keyboard).  Unless I'm
mistaken, this "test" was taken from "The C Puzzle Book" by Alan
Feuer.

Yes, I must say that I think makes an unfair test.  If I came across a
piece of code like that, I wouldn't even attempt to try to figure it
out without at least referring to K&R.  Most likely, I'd use cdecl to
explain the declarations if it was handy.  I guess you're lucky they
didn't get their hands on the Obfuscated C Contest winners :-)

While I'm here, I'd like to move that the following topics be made
taboo for the next say, 10 years:
	1) definition of NULL,
	2) definitions of TRUE and FALSE, and
	3) "structured" or "goto-less" programming.
Perhaps the introduction to info-c should briefly mention them so
beginners won't need to post to the entire list (and instigate a
two-month-long debate).

-Dave Sill
 dsill@nswc-oas.arpa