Tech Tip: Reading C Type Declarations

Almost all C programmers can decode the declaration int *foo[5];, but as the types get more complicated, it gets much harder to just "wing it" when trying to read a type declaration. Just try to decode this one on sight:

char *(*(**foo[8][])())[];

Back in college I started to write a program to parse a declaration and describe it in English, but during the process the "rules" clicked, so I could read them by sight (and never needed to finish the parser).

Every time I teach a C class I have a lesson on how to read arbitrary C type declarations ("How to impress your friends"), and I've finally written it up in a Tech Tip.

Unixwiz.net Tech Tip: Reading C Type Declarations

Posted by Steve at December 27, 2003 03:17 PM | TrackBack