help with 'left-right' cdecl rule

[James Brown [MVP]]

Hi,
I am having trouble understanding how the 'const' modifier affects the
'left-right' rule when deciphering c-declarations:

const int *x; // x is a pointer to a 'const int'
int const *x; // ??

these are the same, right? in this case the basetype is 'const int' ?

int * const x = 0; // x is a const-pointer to int
int (* const )x = 0; // same as above

do the brackets have any significance here? I think not in this case..

int (const * x)[2]; // x is a const-pointer to array[2] of int
int const *x[2]; // x is an array[2] of const-pointer to int

have I understood these correctly?

really I am having trouble understanding what the significance is of the
const-keyword being on the left or right of a '*'...I am writing a small
c-declaration parser as this is helping me to understand the syntax of
c-style declarations..

thanks,
James

 

[jonsmallberries]

Hi,
I am having trouble understanding how the 'const' modifier affects the
'left-right' rule when deciphering c-declarations:

const int *x; // x is a pointer to a 'const int'
int const *x; // ??

I think the first declaration would be:
x is pointer to a const int meaning you have a modifiable pointer but
what it points to is not.

The second is
x is const pointer to int which means you have an unmodifiable pointer,
but what it points to is modifiable.

these are the same, right? in this case the basetype is 'const int' ?

I think the basetype is just int. One declaration is making a const
pointer to an int, and one is making a pointer to a const int.

I'm nowhere near an expert in C, but this is my take.

int * const x = 0; // x is a const-pointer to int
int (* const )x = 0; // same as above

do the brackets have any significance here? I think not in this case..

int (const * x)[2]; // x is a const-pointer to array[2] of int
int const *x[2]; // x is an array[2] of const-pointer to int

have I understood these correctly?

really I am having trouble understanding what the significance is of the
const-keyword being on the left or right of a '*'...I am writing a small
c-declaration parser as this is helping me to understand the syntax of
c-style declarations..

thanks,
James

 

[Michael Mair]

I think the first declaration would be:
x is pointer to a const int meaning you have a modifiable pointer but
what it points to is not.

The second is
x is const pointer to int which means you have an unmodifiable pointer,
but what it points to is modifiable.

Nope. It is a pointer to a const int.

Yes. The position of const (or volatile) with respect to the
type is not fixed and there have been long and hot discussions
about which version is "better".

I think the basetype is just int. One declaration is making a const
pointer to an int, and one is making a pointer to a const int.

I'm nowhere near an expert in C, but this is my take.

Nope. "int * const" is what you describe.

int * const x = 0; // x is a const-pointer to int
int (* const )x = 0; // same as above

do the brackets have any significance here? I think not in this case..

int (const * x)[2]; // x is a const-pointer to array[2] of int
int const *x[2]; // x is an array[2] of const-pointer to int

have I understood these correctly?

really I am having trouble understanding what the significance is of the
const-keyword being on the left or right of a '*'...I am writing a small
c-declaration parser as this is helping me to understand the syntax of
c-style declarations..

Get yourself cdecl to test against; AFAIR there was a thread in
clc not too long ago where people discussed their homebrew cdecl
variants and the "original".

BTW: If you are motivated, try to cover C99 declarations as well
(-> restrict, -> static in function parameter array declarations)


Cheers
Michael

 

[jonsmallberries]

Nope. It is a pointer to a const int.

Right you are. I looked and found this explicit answer:
http://c-faq.com/ansi/constptrconst.html

However, that's just mean. That's why I stay away from C too. Why
have 3 ways to declare it?

Yes. The position of const (or volatile) with respect to the
type is not fixed and there have been long and hot discussions
about which version is "better".


Nope. "int * const" is what you describe.

In the FAQ they said to read from inside out. So yeah, this does make
sense
foo is a const pointer to int.

This "const int * foo" also makes sense, foo is a pointer to a const
int.

But, "int const * foo" is just lame. I checked just for clarity's sake
to see if this is the same in C++ (it is) and the site had this to say.

"Basically 'const' applies to whatever is on its immediate left
other than if there is nothing there in which case it applies to
whatever is its immediate right)." Can we say confusing?

int * const x = 0; // x is a const-pointer to int
int (* const )x = 0; // same as above

do the brackets have any significance here? I think not in this case..

int (const * x)[2]; // x is a const-pointer to array[2] of int
int const *x[2]; // x is an array[2] of const-pointer to int

have I understood these correctly?

really I am having trouble understanding what the significance is of the
const-keyword being on the left or right of a '*'...I am writing a small
c-declaration parser as this is helping me to understand the syntax of
c-style declarations..

Get yourself cdecl to test against; AFAIR there was a thread in
clc not too long ago where people discussed their homebrew cdecl
variants and the "original".

BTW: If you are motivated, try to cover C99 declarations as well
(-> restrict, -> static in function parameter array declarations)


Cheers
Michael

 

[Old Wolf]

In the FAQ they said to read from inside out. So yeah, this does make
sense foo is a const pointer to int.

This "const int * foo" also makes sense, foo is a pointer to a const
int.

But, "int const * foo" is just lame. I checked just for clarity's sake
to see if this is the same in C++ (it is) and the site had this to say.

It is the "const int * foo" version which is lame.
Reading from insde out, as you suggest:

const int * foo foo is a pointer to an int constant
int const * foo foo is a pointer to a constant int

"Basically 'const' applies to whatever is on its immediate left
other than if there is nothing there in which case it applies to
whatever is its immediate right)." Can we say confusing?

The "int const * foo" version obeys the first part of this rule,
the confusing exception is necessary to cover the case of
"const int * foo" .

 

[Robin Haigh]

Hi,
I am having trouble understanding how the 'const' modifier affects the
'left-right' rule when deciphering c-declarations:

const int *x; // x is a pointer to a 'const int'
int const *x; // ??

these are the same, right? in this case the basetype is 'const int' ?

int * const x = 0; // x is a const-pointer to int
int (* const )x = 0; // same as above

do the brackets have any significance here? I think not in this case..

The 2nd is a syntax error, as I read it. If there are brackets, the
variable name (or typedef name) is inside the innermost brackets, except
when it's omitted altogether. But

int *const x = 0;
int (*const x) = 0;

are the same.

int (const * x)[2]; // x is a const-pointer to array[2] of int

A pointer you can't modify is always *const, not const*. Other types can
have const before or after.

int const *x[2]; // x is an array[2] of const-pointer to int

so this is array[2] of pointer to const int

 

[Ben Bacarisse]

It is the "const int * foo" version which is lame. Reading from insde out,
as you suggest:

const int * foo foo is a pointer to an int constant int const * foo
foo is a pointer to a constant int


The "int const * foo" version obeys the first part of this rule, the
confusing exception is necessary to cover the case of "const int * foo" .

I find it easier not to think in terms of rules with exceptions. C type
declarations are structred like nested expressions. The various tokens
int, cont, *, [], () and so on behave like "type operators" applied to the
thing being declared. As a result, declarations need to be read "inside
out" starting from the name. You always read to the right first if you
can (function brakets and array brakets) and then to the left where you
will find * and const and volatile and so on.

Because the type may be nested, you may have to finish off an inner
bracketed part before continuing outside -- again reading to the right if
there is anything there before going left.

You can work out an exact list of what to say when you hit a particular
tokens (<OT>very useful for C++ pointer to member function types that can
be hard to read at first</OT>) but the main parts are:

<name> -- say: "name is a"
( -- say: "function taking" then read the declarators for the
formal parameters (say "unknown" if there are none)
) -- say: "and returning a"
[ -- say: "array of"
] -- say: nothing
* -- say: "pointer to a"
const -- say: "constant"
int, etc -- say: "int" or "character" or whatever
<num> -- read out the number

If you hit a ")" without having read out the opening "(" then you are
inside a nested type and you have to finish reading it (by going left)
before jumping out. When you hit the matching "(" you just continue as if
the barcketed part were no longer there (i.e. start reading to the right
again).

As a result, you clear up "int const *x" and "const int *x" for free
since they read as "x is a pointer to a constant int" and "x is a pointer
to an int constant" which have the same natural meaning in English.

It really pays off with pointer to function types:

int const *const (*f)(void);

Goes: "f is a" -- can't go right because of the ")" so we are in a nested
type and need to finish it -- "pointer to a" -- we can now remove the
nested part and keep going -- "function taking void and
returning a constant pointer to constant int".

It is simpler to do that is sounds, honest! (The hardest part is spotting
where the name should be when you are reading the type in a cast or a
nameless formal paramater -- these look just like a declarations but with
the name missing).