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From: scm@datlog.co.uk ( Steve Mawer )
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: pointers to arrays
Message-ID: <1780@dlvax2.datlog.co.uk>
Date: 23 Feb 89 08:23:43 GMT
References: <19784@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU>
Reply-To: scm@datlog.co.uk ( Steve Mawer )
Organization: Data Logic Ltd, Queens House, Greenhill Way, Harrow, London.
Lines: 20

In article <19784@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU> thoth@beach.cis.ufl.edu () writes:
>                 If E is an array (yes I know it's upper case but
>that's what he used) the &E should return a pointer to an array.  My
>question is "what will you use this for?"  Pointers are usually used
>to modify things, and &E I believe would be used to modify the address
>of the array since that's what E is (the address of the array).  YOU
>CAN'T DO THAT!!!

&E won't (shouldn't) modify the address since, as you say, it's already
cast in stone, so to speak.  What it *should* evaluate to is a pointer
to the address of the array.  This is clearly meaningless (and hence of
limited interest :-) since only the compiler should be interested in
where it keeps the value of E.

Most compilers that I've used will either flag an error, or will issue a
warning and *assume* that you meant &E[0] (or just E) and discard the &.

-- 
Steve C. Mawer        <scm@datlog.co.uk> or < {backbone}!ukc!datlog!scm >
                       Voice:  +44 1 863 0383 (x2153)