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Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!munnari!kre
From: kre@munnari.oz (Robert Elz)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: have I found a bug in K&R?
Message-ID: <1840@munnari.oz>
Date: Wed, 30-Sep-87 07:45:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: munnari.1840
Posted: Wed Sep 30 07:45:11 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 3-Oct-87 08:21:55 EDT
References: <517@hubcap.UUCP>
Organization: Comp Sci, Melbourne Uni, Australia
Lines: 18
Keywords: argv definition

In article <517@hubcap.UUCP>, hubcap@hubcap.UUCP (Mike S Marshall) writes:
>     k&r: "...(argv) is a pointer to an array of character strings..."
> 
> isn't it more correct to say that argv is an array of pointers to character
> strings?

Not really, argv is a pointer to an array of pointers to null terminated
arrays of characters.

A pointer to a null terminated array of characters is what is colloquially
callyed a "character string" (eg: "abc" .. which is a pointer to a null
terminated array of characters).

So k&r's description is right.  That argv is a pointer, and not an array
is a crucial difference, if argv were an array, "argv++;" would be an
illegal statement.

kre