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
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Ben Pfaff]

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

Array of pointers to functions returning int.

 

[Joona I Palaste]

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 ([email protected]) ---------------------------\
| 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

 

[Tobias Oed]

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.

 

[Chris Saunders]

My thanks to all who responded.

Regards
Chris Saunders
(e-mail address removed)

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

Array of pointers to functions returning int.

 

[Dan Pop]

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