Re: structs passed by copy

From	David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
Subject	Re: structs passed by copy
Date	2023-02-12 11:24 +0100
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<tsaeou$1o7d7$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	(1 earlier) <slrntufrg4.h7h.grahn+nntp@frailea.sa.invalid> <87o7pzdcmj.fsf@nosuchdomain.example.com> <8bf19a48-ba3c-4191-ade1-7205237036d2n@googlegroups.com> <87h6vrd8p8.fsf@nosuchdomain.example.com> <tsa0lm$1mtds$1@dont-email.me>

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On 12/02/2023 07:23, James Kuyper wrote:
> On 2/11/23 19:32, Keith Thompson wrote:
> ...
>> I wouldn't say there's that much difference between passing by copy and
>> passing by pointer-to-const.  The former does allow the function to
>> modify its copy of the parameter, but in my experience that's not a
>> common requirement.  And the discussion was about parameters, not return
>> values.
> 
> It might not be a common requirement, but in my experience the existence
> of such a requirement is, in C, the main reason why I'd use
> pass-by-value rather than a pointer-to-const.
> 
>> I can't think of a case where pass-by-copy *can't* be replaced by
>> pass-by-pointer-to-const.  If you need a local modifiable copy, you can
>> make one.  (And again, I'm not suggesting such a replacement *should* be
>> done in any particular case.)
> 
> So, you would replace pass-by-copy with pass-by-reference followed by
> copy? I don't see the point. I wouldn't do that for the same reason I
> wouldn't do the following:
> 
> long double _Complex func(const long double _Complex *in)
> {
> long double _Complex out = *in;
> // operations which modify out
> return out;
> }
> 

If you have a function that takes a struct parameter by value, then the 
normal calling convention (assuming the struct is too big to fit in 
registers, and that the functions involved are not optimised together in 
some way) will have the caller function make a local copy of the struct 
on its stack and pass a pointer to that struct to the callee.  The 
callee function is compiled as though it took a non-const pointer to the 
struct as the parameter.

If you pass a const pointer to the struct, then no copy need be made of 
the struct.  But if the callee wants a modifiable copy of the struct, it 
must make its own local copy (as Keith suggested).

At first glance, these two situations take the same amount of run-time 
effort (time and stack space) when the callee needs to modify a copy of 
the struct), but the manual local copy is a little more source code 
effort.  In practice, however, smart compilers can do better.  The 
function that took a const reference and made a local copy need not 
necessarily actually copy everything.  If the new copy is not treated as 
a complete struct (such as by passing a pointer to it to another 
function), then the compiler might just make local copies of the fields 
that are actually changed, and use the original for other fields.  It is 
common practice for compilers to consider structs as a collection of 
separate objects (and vice versa) if that allows greater efficiency.

So yes, there /is/ a point in passing by const reference and making a 
local copy.

Of course your emphasis should usually be on picking an interface that 
gives the clearest information in the code - getting the code right, and 
helping those who use the functions get things right is top priority. 
Maximal efficiency of the generated code is of secondary priority.  But 
when maximal efficiency is important, there can be differences here.

Thread

structs passed by copy Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2023-01-20 10:41 -0800
  Re: structs passed by copy gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2023-01-20 19:01 +0000
    Re: structs passed by copy Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2023-01-20 23:01 +0300
      Re: structs passed by copy gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2023-01-20 21:28 +0000
        Re: structs passed by copy Kaz Kylheku <864-117-4973@kylheku.com> - 2023-01-21 09:14 +0000
        Re: structs passed by copy Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2023-01-21 10:58 -0700
          Re: structs passed by copy gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2023-01-21 18:00 +0000
          Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-01-21 16:14 -0800
            Re: structs passed by copy James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2023-01-22 16:00 -0500
              Re: structs passed by copy "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 13:07 -0800
              Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 13:27 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 13:51 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 13:51 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2023-01-22 17:11 -0500
                Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 16:01 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2023-01-22 21:22 -0500
                Re: structs passed by copy David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2023-01-23 10:46 +0100
                Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-01-23 12:15 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2023-01-23 21:47 +0100
                Re: structs passed by copy Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2023-01-23 13:21 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2023-01-23 23:49 +0000
                Re: structs passed by copy Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2023-01-24 02:46 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-01-24 04:18 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-01-24 04:45 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-01-24 04:54 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-01-24 05:26 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-01-24 05:38 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-01-24 05:53 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-01-24 06:20 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-01-24 06:56 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-01-24 07:17 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2023-01-24 12:56 +0000
                Re: structs passed by copy Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2023-01-24 07:29 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2023-01-23 15:44 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-01-23 16:37 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2023-01-23 20:13 -0500
                Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-01-23 17:58 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2023-01-24 07:53 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-01-24 11:14 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-01-24 12:02 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Phil Carmody <pc+usenet@asdf.org> - 2023-01-25 10:18 +0200
                Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-01-25 10:53 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2023-01-29 13:30 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-01-29 17:42 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2023-02-17 07:19 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-02-17 09:35 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy John Forkosh <forkosh@panix.com> - 2023-01-30 04:24 +0000
                Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-01-29 21:10 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2023-01-30 13:55 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2023-02-17 05:57 -0800
      Re: structs passed by copy James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2023-01-21 05:00 -0500
        Re: structs passed by copy Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2023-01-21 23:00 +0300
          Re: structs passed by copy Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2023-01-21 17:10 -0500
    Re: structs passed by copy Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2023-01-20 18:12 -0800
    Re: structs passed by copy antispam@math.uni.wroc.pl - 2023-01-21 02:28 +0000
  Re: structs passed by copy Blue-Maned_Hawk <bluemanedhawk@gmail.com> - 2023-01-20 14:09 -0500
    Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-01-20 11:26 -0800
  Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-01-20 11:22 -0800
  Re: structs passed by copy Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2023-01-20 20:16 +0000
    Re: structs passed by copy Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2023-01-20 19:16 -0800
      Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-01-20 21:08 -0800
      Re: structs passed by copy Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2023-01-21 13:30 +0000
        Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 10:27 -0800
  Re: structs passed by copy Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2023-01-20 21:35 -0500
  Re: structs passed by copy "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2023-01-20 19:01 -0800
    Re: structs passed by copy "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2023-01-21 17:01 -0800
  Re: structs passed by copy David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2023-01-21 14:59 +0100
  Re: structs passed by copy Opus <ifonly@youknew.org> - 2023-01-21 19:59 +0100
  Re: structs passed by copy Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2023-01-21 16:55 -0800
    Re: structs passed by copy Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 02:32 -0800
      Re: structs passed by copy Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2023-01-22 15:54 +0000
        Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 09:17 -0800
          Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 09:56 -0800
            Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 10:19 -0800
              Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 11:01 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 11:08 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 11:17 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 13:27 -0800
        Re: structs passed by copy "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 13:04 -0800
          Re: structs passed by copy Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2023-01-22 21:43 +0000
            Re: structs passed by copy "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 14:10 -0800
              Re: structs passed by copy Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2023-01-22 22:29 +0000
                Re: structs passed by copy "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 14:39 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 19:06 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2023-01-23 10:54 +0100
        Re: structs passed by copy Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2023-01-22 19:00 -0800
          Re: structs passed by copy Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2023-01-23 12:14 +0000
  Re: structs passed by copy Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2023-02-11 19:35 +0000
    Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-02-11 15:08 -0800
      Re: structs passed by copy Öö Tiib <ootiib@hot.ee> - 2023-02-11 15:56 -0800
        Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-02-11 16:32 -0800
          Re: structs passed by copy James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2023-02-12 01:23 -0500
            Re: structs passed by copy David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2023-02-12 11:24 +0100
              Re: structs passed by copy Vir Campestris <vir.campestris@invalid.invalid> - 2023-02-12 22:11 +0000
                Re: structs passed by copy David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2023-02-13 10:25 +0100
                Re: structs passed by copy Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2023-02-13 06:41 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2023-02-13 06:50 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2023-02-13 17:22 +0100
                Re: structs passed by copy Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2023-02-13 10:47 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2023-02-13 21:50 +0100
                Re: structs passed by copy bart c <bart4858@gmail.com> - 2023-02-15 17:14 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2023-02-16 10:53 +0100
                Re: structs passed by copy scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2023-02-16 15:22 +0000
            Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-02-12 11:04 -0800
          Re: structs passed by copy Öö Tiib <ootiib@hot.ee> - 2023-02-12 12:41 -0800
          Re: structs passed by copy Andrey Tarasevich <andreytarasevich@hotmail.com> - 2023-02-16 22:49 -0800
      Re: structs passed by copy "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2023-02-11 17:49 -0800
      Grammar nitpick (Was: structs passed by copy) gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2023-02-12 06:30 +0000
      Re: structs passed by copy Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2023-03-06 09:32 -0800
        Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-03-06 09:58 -0800
          Re: structs passed by copy Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2023-03-06 11:30 -0800
            Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-03-06 12:59 -0800
    Re: structs passed by copy Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2023-02-15 01:52 -0800
      Re: structs passed by copy Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2023-02-16 05:20 -0800
        Re: structs passed by copy David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2023-02-16 16:49 +0100
        Re: structs passed by copy Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2023-02-26 08:12 -0800
          Re: structs passed by copy Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2023-02-28 05:38 -0800
            Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-02-28 14:18 -0800
              Re: structs passed by copy Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2023-03-01 05:02 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-03-01 10:23 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-03-01 10:42 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy bart c <bart4858@gmail.com> - 2023-03-01 15:13 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2023-03-02 04:17 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-03-05 04:17 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2023-03-05 04:55 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2023-03-02 10:48 +0100
                Re: structs passed by copy Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2023-03-02 04:07 -0800
                Re: structs passed by copy David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2023-03-02 15:08 +0100
                Re: structs passed by copy Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2023-03-02 09:22 -0800
              Re: structs passed by copy gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2023-03-01 13:34 +0000
                Re: structs passed by copy Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2023-03-01 21:42 -0500
            Re: structs passed by copy Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2023-03-06 09:36 -0800
  Re: structs passed by copy Maciej Zelma <maciej.projectmanager@gmail.com> - 2023-02-17 14:10 -0800
    Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-02-17 15:45 -0800
      Re: structs passed by copy scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2023-02-18 00:12 +0000
        Re: structs passed by copy bart c <bart4858@gmail.com> - 2023-02-18 02:33 -0800
    Re: structs passed by copy James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2023-02-18 00:44 -0500
      Re: structs passed by copy Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2023-02-17 22:21 -0800
  Re: structs passed by copy Bonita Montero <Bonita.Montero@gmail.com> - 2023-03-01 18:00 +0100
    Re: structs passed by copy Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2023-03-01 09:18 -0800
      Re: structs passed by copy Bonita Montero <Bonita.Montero@gmail.com> - 2023-03-05 14:05 +0100

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