Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!calma!clark
From: clark@calma.uucp (Al Clark)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Question on structures
Message-ID: <700@calma.uucp>
Date: Mon, 2-Nov-87 01:44:17 EST
Article-I.D.: calma.700
Posted: Mon Nov  2 01:44:17 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 5-Nov-87 22:25:00 EST
References: <1025@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> <11782@beta.UUCP>
Reply-To: clark@calma.UUCP (Al Clark)
Organization: GE/Calma Co., R&D Systems Engineering, Milpitas, CA
Lines: 41
Summary: Use #define for shorthand notations.

Follow up to: comp.lang.c
Distribution: comp.lang.c
Organization: GE/Calma, Milpitas CA
Keywords: structures

In article <11782@beta.UUCP> hwe@beta.UUCP (Skip Egdorf) writes:
>In article <1025@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>, asjoshi@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Amit S. Joshi) writes:
>> Hi,
>> 
>> I have a question on structures. It is as follows:
>> 
>> I have gotten really tired of typing things like a.b.c.d etc  to refer to
(Discussion of pascal 'with' construction deleted)
>>     "with a.b.c {now refering to d really means use a.b.c.d } ..."
>> I was wondering if there is some similar contruct in C. I might be missing 
>> Amit Joshi         |  BITNET :  Q3696@PUCC.BITNET
>>                    |  USENET :  ...seismo!princeton!phoenix!asjoshi
>
>This question arises around here once in a while, and this is how I answer,
>for what it is worth.
>
>No, there is no equivalent to 'with' in C.
>However, your question is symptomatic of a deeper problem; You seem to
>be trying to write Pascal programs in C. Every language has a 'style'
(Discussion of language styles and passing parts of structures deleted)
>
>					Skip Egdorf
>					hwe@lanl.gov

As Skip points out, each language has its own style. 
I use the #define capability of the cpp to generate shorthand notations; eg,
#define Mtime statb.st_mtime
Since you can use a #define anywhere, you could use:
#define D a.b.c.d
You should make sure you're not using a system defined character string, but
case combinations such as the Mtime example above are usually safe. I'd
use #define Dele a.b.c.d in the case you mention.
-- 
Al Clark - {ucbvax,sun,...}calma!clark
                        ...calma!gewest!aclark!al
NOTE: The calma account is a courtesy account; I am not employed by calma.