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From: Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: New and improved version of cdecl
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:00:29 -0700
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bart <bc@freeuk.com> writes:
> On 24/10/2025 00:04, Keith Thompson wrote:
>> bart <bc@freeuk.com> writes:
[...]

I note that you've ignored the vast majority of my previous article.

>>> Regarding your example, my old C compiler (which is a fraction the
>>> size of this new Cdecl) 'explains' it as:
>>>
>>>    'ref proc(int)ref proc()void'
>>>
>>> (Not quite English, more Algol68-ish.)
>> Can I run your old C compiler on my Ubuntu system?
>> 
>
> The old one needed a tweak to bring it up-to-date for my newer C
> transpiler. So it was easier to port the feature to the newer product.
>
> Download https://github.com/sal55/langs/blob/master/ccu.c
>
> (Note: 86Kloc/2MB file; this is poor quality, linear C generated from
> intermediate language.)
>
> Build instructions are at the top. Although this targets Win64, it
> works enough to demonstrate the feature above. Create this C file (say
> test.c):
>
>   int main(void) {
>       void (*f(int i))(void);
>       $showmode f;
>   }
>
> Run as follows (if built as 'ccu'):
>
>   ./ccu -s test
>
> It will display the type during compilation.
>
> Obviously this is not a dedicated product (and doing the reverse needs
> a separate program), but I only needed to add about 10 lines of code
> to support '$showmode'.
>
> Original source, omitting the unneeded output options, would be 2/3
> the size of that configure script.

OK, I was able to compile and run your ccu.c, and at least on this
example it works as you've described it.  It looks interesting,
but I personally don't find it particularly useful, given that I
already have cdecl, I prefer its syntax, and it's easier to use
(and I almost literally could not care less about the number of
lines of code needed to implement cdecl).

-- 
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com
void Void(void) { Void(); } /* The recursive call of the void */