Interpreting some code

[Chris Saunders]

I came across a construction in some code I was reading that I have
never seen before and hope that someone could tell me how to
interpret this:

int (*literalScanners[XML_N_LITERAL_TYPES])(const ENCODING *,
const char *,
const char *,
const char **);

It looks like a function declaration to me but the "[XML_N_LITERAL_TYPES]"
part throws me off.

Regards
Chris Saunders
ch************@sympatico.ca

[Joona I Palaste]

Chris Saunders <ch************@sympatico.ca> scribbled the following:

I came across a construction in some code I was reading that I have
never seen before and hope that someone could tell me how to
interpret this: int (*literalScanners[XML_N_LITERAL_TYPES])(const ENCODING *,
const char *,
const char *,
const char **); It looks like a function declaration to me but the "[XML_N_LITERAL_TYPES]"
part throws me off.

It's declaring an array of pointers to function, not declaring a
function. There are XML_N_LITERAL_TYPES pointers in that array, and
they each point to a function returning int and accepting parameters
(const ENCODING *, const char *, const char *, const char **).

--
/-- Joona Palaste (pa*****@cc.helsinki.fi) ---------------------------\
| Kingpriest of "The Flying Lemon Tree" G++ FR FW+ M- #108 D+ ADA N+++|
| http://www.helsinki.fi/~palaste W++ B OP+ |
\----------------------------------------- Finland rules! ------------/
"I wish someone we knew would die so we could leave them flowers."
- A 6-year-old girl, upon seeing flowers in a cemetery

[Ben Pfaff]

"Chris Saunders" <ch************@sympatico.ca> writes:

int (*literalScanners[XML_N_LITERAL_TYPES])(const ENCODING *,
const char *,
const char *,
const char **);

Array of pointers to functions returning int.
--
"Large amounts of money tend to quench any scruples I might be having."
-- Stephan Wilms

[Tobias Oed]

Chris Saunders wrote:

I came across a construction in some code I was reading that I have
never seen before and hope that someone could tell me how to
interpret this:

int (*literalScanners[XML_N_LITERAL_TYPES])(const ENCODING *,
const char *,
const char *,
const char **);

It looks like a function declaration to me but the "[XML_N_LITERAL_TYPES]"
part throws me off.

That's an array with XML_N_LITERAL_TYPES items of pointers to function
taking (const ENC...) as arguments and returning an int.
Tobias.

--
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fclc (french): http://www.isty-info.uvsq.fr/~rumeau/fclc/

[Chris Saunders]

My thanks to all who responded.

Regards
Chris Saunders
ch************@sympatico.ca

"Ben Pfaff" <bl*@cs.stanford.edu> wrote in message
news:87************@pfaff.Stanford.EDU...

"Chris Saunders" <ch************@sympatico.ca> writes:

int (*literalScanners[XML_N_LITERAL_TYPES])(const ENCODING *,
const char *,
const char *,
const char **);

Array of pointers to functions returning int.
--
"Large amounts of money tend to quench any scruples I might be having."
-- Stephan Wilms

[Dan Pop]

In <KB******************@news20.bellglobal.com> "Chris Saunders" <ch************@sympatico.ca> writes:

I came across a construction in some code I was reading that I have
never seen before and hope that someone could tell me how to
interpret this:

int (*literalScanners[XML_N_LITERAL_TYPES])(const ENCODING *,
const char *,
const char *,
const char **);

It looks like a function declaration to me but the "[XML_N_LITERAL_TYPES]"
part throws me off.

Then remove it and you're left with:

int (*literalScanners)(const ENCODING *, const char * ...);

which can be easily recognised as the declaration of a pointer to
function. So, what do we have when we put "[XML_N_LITERAL_TYPES]" back
in? An array of pointers to functions.

Note that such declarations need not be that cryptical. A single typedef
can do wonders:

typedef int func_t(const ENCODING *, const char *, const char * ...);
func_t *literalScanners[XML_N_LITERAL_TYPES];

Now, it's glaringly obvious that literalScanners is an array of pointers.

Dan
--
Dan Pop
DESY Zeuthen, RZ group
Email: Da*****@ifh.de