Comma operator

[grid]

Hi,
I need some clarifications on how the comma operator is used to return
values from function like macros.I saw a typical implementation as :

#define sigfillset(ptr) ( *(ptr) &= ~(sigset_t)0 , 0 )

How is the 0 after the comma operator used to return 0 on success of the
macro function ?

TIA

 

[S.Tobias]

I need some clarifications on how the comma operator is used to return
values from function like macros.I saw a typical implementation as :

#define sigfillset(ptr) ( *(ptr) &= ~(sigset_t)0 , 0 )

How is the 0 after the comma operator used to return 0 on success of the
macro function ?

`sigfillset' is not a function, it's a "function-like macro", but this
detail is not very important here. A macro does not return anything,
it gets expanded. In the above case, it gets expanded into a comma
expression, whose value is _always_ 0, regardless whether the first
operand expression succeeded or not.

The above code may be some sort of optimization (macro expansion
in place of function call). `sigfillset' is probably one of many
"functions", which return 0 on success. Since setting a bit
pattern cannot ever fail, we can always "return" 0.

Example:
int error;
error = sigfillset(/*...*/);
if (error) abort();
error = sigfooset(/*...*/);
if (error) abort();
error = sigbarset(/*...*/);
if (error) abort();
/* etc... */

 

[Zoran Cutura]

Hi,
I need some clarifications on how the comma operator is used to return
values from function like macros.I saw a typical implementation as :

#define sigfillset(ptr) ( *(ptr) &= ~(sigset_t)0 , 0 )

How is the 0 after the comma operator used to return 0 on success of the
macro function ?

Actually it allways returns 0. The point is that the comma-operator is
of such low precedence that the left operand of it is evaluated first,
so in the above case the assignement to *ptr is done and thereafter the
evaluation of the right hand operator of the ',' is done and becomes the
recult of the expression. So if it is meant to return 0 on success one
could rely on sigfillset to never fail.

OTOH, if ptr is not a valid pointer anything might happen.