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From: strouckn@nvpna1.UUCP (Louis Stroucken 42720)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: char (*a)[]  (was: Style [++i vs i++])
Message-ID: <234@nvpna1.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 12-Aug-87 05:52:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: nvpna1.234
Posted: Wed Aug 12 05:52:46 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Aug-87 02:00:20 EDT
References: <8298@brl-adm.ARPA> <587@cblpe.ATT.COM> <189@xyzzy.UUCP> <1987Aug10.192923.7879@sq.uucp>
Reply-To: strouckn@nvpna1.UUCP (Louis Stroucken 42720)
Organization: Philips Research Labs, Eindhoven, Netherlands
Lines: 29
Summary: a is a formal argument, so char (*a)[] => char **a

In article <1987Aug10.192923.7879@sq.uucp> msb@sq.UUCP (Mark Brader) writes:
>
>Regarding the code...
>
>> >   main(a)
>> >   char (*a)[];
       [ discussion wether "a++;" should do something sensible ]
>
>Actually, *declaring* such a pointer is probably illegal.  The language
>in K&R appendix A section 8.4 is a bit fuzzy, but seems to imply this;
>and section 3.5.3.2 of the (Oct.'86) ANSI draft nails it down clearly.

I haven't got any ANSI draft here, so I'd better stay out of the
discussion, but:

Please note that "a" is a formal argument of main!!

K&R appendix A section 10.4 says on array arguments:
	...formal parameters declared "array of..." are adjusted to read
	"pointer to...".

The declaration of "a" might as well read "char **a;". "a++;" should
increment "a" with sizeof( char * ) bytes.

If I miss something, please let me know.

Louis Stroucken

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