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From: mdt@yahi.stanford.edu (Michael Tiemann)
Newsgroups: gnu.g++
Subject: Isn't sizeof an operator?
Message-ID: <8903202240.AA24954@yahi>
Date: 20 Mar 89 22:40:25 GMT
References: <2352@buengc.BU.EDU>
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   In article <123@riunite.ACA.MCC.COM> rfg@riunite.UUCP (Ron Guilmette) writes:
   ["why isn't sizeof declarable as an operator?"]

   Because it's a compiler directive, not a C-language operator.  The
   result of sizeof (something) is an integer _constant_.  If you try to
   take the size of something that has a varying size, you will get only
   the size of that thing at compile time.

   If you're creating varying-sized data elements, you should keep track of
   their sizes yourself.

				   --Blair
				     "But I don't know why you would..."

It also takes a TYPE as an argument instead of an EXPRESSION.

Michael