Using Zig's translate-C to understand weird C code

Re:Using Zig's translate-C to understand weird C code by userbinator on Wednesday November 03, 2021 @09:44AM (#29094444)

The summary is "array and function has higher precedence than pointer, and parentheses override all". This explains why

    int *f();

is a function returning pointer to int, while

    int (*f)()

is a pointer to function returning int. Likewise,

    int *a[]

is an array of pointer to int, while

    int (*a)[]

is a pointer to array of int.

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Re:Using Zig's translate-C to understand weird C code by nicoburns on Thursday November 04, 2021 @06:25AM (#29105345)

Argh! All of these examples seem backwards to me. Why on earth isn't "a pointer to an array of int" something like:

    *(int[])

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Re:Using Zig's translate-C to understand weird C code by userbinator on Thursday November 04, 2021 @03:36PM (#29111587)

Because of how precedence works --- you start from the inside and work outwards, the same as when evaluating ordinary maths expressions.

"Pointer to array of int" means you dereference it first to get an array of ints, then index to get an int.

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Re:Using Zig's translate-C to understand weird C code by pmarreck on Wednesday November 03, 2021 @01:39PM (#29097912)

between things like this and the pre- and post-increment/decrement operators, it's shocking that C code generates so many security holes ;)

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