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Re: Pointer conversion and alignment

From Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk>
Newsgroups comp.lang.c
Subject Re: Pointer conversion and alignment
Date 2018-11-18 02:14 +0000
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <87efbjku7v.fsf@bsb.me.uk> (permalink)
References <20181117143819.43938ee34006bbcc1826bf0c@gmail.com> <20181117173706.aa796408d8f064693c860302@gmail.com> <87r2fjl8pl.fsf@bsb.me.uk> <20181118004332.f3bbecb2e75db48245ac0cf9@gmail.com>

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Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> writes:

> Ben Bacarisse to Anton Shepelev:
>
>> > v = 5;
>> > da_addemp( &a, &vP );
>> > memcpy( vP, &v, sizeof( int ) );
>>
>> This use confuses me.  It may be linked to what you say
>> below.  What's going on here?
>
> Append an empty element to the dynamic array a, storing the
> address of that element into the pointer vP, then store the
> value 5 at that address.

Ah, OK.  I don't see any value in that interface since the whole point
was to have int * access.  (I'd return an index of even a void *
itself.)

>> > It works by coincidence, because Standard C has no
>> > generic pointer-to-pointer, and I shall have to work
>> > around that.
>>
>> Can you elaborate on what you see as the problem there?  C
>> has a generic pointer-to-object, and there's nothing
>> stopping that object from holding a pointer.  What do you
>> want a generic pointer-to-pointer to be able to do?
>
> My da_* functions are declared as taking a void* as the
> dynamic array, whereas in the example I am passing int**.

Ah, yes.  I see now.  I did not stop to think of the prototype.

> In order to work with dynamic arrays of any type, my
> functions convert the void* argument to void**, which is not
> guarranteed to work because of 6.3.2.3.7:
>
>    A pointer to an object or incomplete type may be
>    converted to a pointer to a different object or
>    incomplete type. If the resulting pointer is not
>    correctly aligned for the pointed-to type, the behavior
>    is undefined.

I don't think this is the only problem.  I once worked on a
word-addressed machine where pointer conversions involved a bit shift.
Given your int *a; the expression (void *)a doubled the address and
converting the void * back halved it.  (It was a 16-bit word -- with a
32-bit word the value would be multiplied and divided by 4.)

Your void * argument points to an object holding an int * value and
treating that object as holding a void * will go wrong.  This is not an
alignment issue but an effective type issue.

Of course you are very unlikely to ever come across such a machine!

> This is actually an interesting situation, where the return
> value of a function cannot be turned into a reference
> parameter.  You cannot, for example, re-express realloc() as
> a procedure returning void and accepting the address of the
> pointer to an allocated object:
>
>    int* iP = malloc( sizeof( int ) );
>    realloc2( &iP, 2 * sizeof( int ) );
>
> To work around this limitation, I shall have to use a
> realloc-like interface: accept the dynamic array by value
> and return its new value, e.g.:
>
>    a = da_setlen( a, 10 );

Yes, I think you will have to do that for maximum portability.

<snip>
-- 
Ben.

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Thread

Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-17 14:38 +0300
  Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-17 17:37 +0300
    Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-17 21:01 +0000
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 00:43 +0300
        Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 01:20 +0300
          Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-17 18:12 -0500
            Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 02:32 +0300
              Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-17 18:59 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 12:40 +0300
        Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-18 02:14 +0000
          Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 13:23 +0300
            Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-18 11:28 +0000
              Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 15:31 +0300
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-18 15:03 +0000
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 23:00 +0300
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 00:49 +0300
  Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-11-17 06:52 -0800
    Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2018-11-18 09:18 +1300
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-11-17 13:49 -0800
        Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-11-17 13:57 -0800
          Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2018-11-18 11:08 +1300
            Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 01:13 +0300
              Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-11-17 18:37 -0800
        Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Philipp Klaus Krause <pkk@spth.de> - 2018-11-18 14:14 +0100
  Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-17 10:05 -0500
    Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 01:08 +0300
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson@invalid.invalid> - 2018-11-17 14:31 -0800
        Re: Pointer conversion and alignment "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson@invalid.invalid> - 2018-11-17 16:10 -0800
          Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-18 15:01 +0300
            Re: Pointer conversion and alignment James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-18 07:25 -0500
              Re: Pointer conversion and alignment "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson@invalid.invalid> - 2018-11-19 21:30 -0800
            Re: Pointer conversion and alignment "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson@invalid.invalid> - 2018-11-20 14:20 -0800
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-17 18:04 -0500
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Philipp Klaus Krause <pkk@spth.de> - 2018-11-18 14:18 +0100
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2018-11-18 19:49 +0000
    Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-23 18:27 -0800
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-23 21:59 -0500
        Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-24 00:32 -0800
          Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-24 08:17 -0500
            Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-29 09:55 -0800
              Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-29 21:48 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-12-05 04:14 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-12-05 08:14 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-12-05 05:29 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-12-05 14:44 +0100
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-12-05 21:58 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-12-05 16:38 +0300
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2018-12-05 14:23 +0000
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-12-05 14:35 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-12-08 19:28 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-12-09 08:18 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-12-09 14:35 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-12-09 14:04 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-12-09 20:40 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-12-17 07:18 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-12-17 12:35 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-12-17 12:48 -0800
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson@invalid.invalid> - 2018-11-24 18:33 -0800
  My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-19 02:26 +0300
    Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-19 11:08 +0000
      Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-19 15:37 +0300
        Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-19 15:39 +0300
          Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-19 15:07 +0000
            Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-19 22:24 +0300
              Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-19 12:33 -0800
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-20 00:34 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-19 14:38 -0800
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-20 00:43 +0000
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-19 21:44 -0500
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] jadill33@gmail.com - 2018-11-20 07:11 -0800
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] bart4858@gmail.com - 2018-11-20 10:02 -0800
              Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-19 22:20 +0000
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-20 14:01 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Melzzzzz <Melzzzzz@zzzzz.com> - 2018-11-20 11:07 +0000
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-20 15:12 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-20 08:15 -0500
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-20 23:08 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-20 14:13 -0800
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-21 16:38 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-21 09:05 -0500
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-21 20:28 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-21 12:58 -0800
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-22 01:47 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-21 15:50 -0800
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-24 19:37 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-21 21:22 +0000
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-21 01:15 +0000
        Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-19 15:06 +0000
        Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] mark.bluemel@gmail.com - 2018-11-19 08:05 -0800
          Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2018-11-19 16:49 +0000
        Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-19 10:35 -0800
          Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-20 00:45 +0300
            Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-19 14:24 -0800
              Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-20 15:05 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-20 08:31 -0500
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-20 20:02 -0500
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-21 22:47 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-21 13:08 -0800
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-22 00:31 +0300
                Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-21 21:36 +0000
      Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-19 16:04 +0300
        Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-19 14:56 +0000
    Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-24 19:24 +0300
      Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-24 21:31 +0000
        Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-24 21:46 +0000
        Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-25 01:12 +0300
          Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-11-25 01:39 +0000
            Re: My dynamic arrays module [was:Re: Pointer conversion and alignment] Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-25 14:19 +0300
  Re: Pointer conversion and alignment jadill33@gmail.com - 2018-11-19 08:44 -0800
    Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-20 00:02 +0300
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-11-19 13:51 -0800
        Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-20 01:08 +0300
          Re: Pointer conversion and alignment jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-19 14:31 -0800
            Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-20 15:21 +0300
              Re: Pointer conversion and alignment James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-20 08:59 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-11-20 11:06 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-20 12:43 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-11-20 14:33 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-21 14:33 +0300
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-21 07:49 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-11-21 12:42 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-21 08:41 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-25 15:06 +0300
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-11-25 10:47 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-11-26 12:42 +0300
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-11-26 03:07 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-11-26 12:56 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2018-11-26 18:17 -0500
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-26 09:06 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-26 23:52 +0300
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-26 13:13 -0800
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-11-27 00:31 +0300
                Re: Pointer conversion and alignment jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu - 2018-11-26 14:15 -0800
      Re: Pointer conversion and alignment jadill33@gmail.com - 2018-11-19 14:33 -0800

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