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From: Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: struct tag (*[5])(float)
Date: Thu, 02 Apr 2015 15:18:52 -0700
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Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> writes:
> On 02/04/2015 04:13, Keith Thompson wrote:
>> Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> writes:
[...]
>>> I could try and tell you what the above means, but it will a
>>> guess. Although I know the name goes just before the "*", because I
>>> tested my guess with a compiler.
>>
>> No, it goes after the identifier.  (And I don't think I can explain how
>> I figured that out.)
>
> You mean, after the "*"...?

Yes.

>> I agree with you that C's declaration syntax is unnecessarily obscure,
>> and I occasionally resort to cdecl myself.
>
> Maybe it should be part of the language allowing you to optionally use
> English to declare types:
>
> _cdeclare("name as array 5 of pointer to function (float) returning
> struct tag") ;
>
> The compiler sees this as:
>
> struct tag (*name[5])(float) ;

I dislike that idea, at least as a language feature.  We'd have to
define *rigorously* an English-like syntax for declarations, and it
would have to coexist with the existing syntax in the same language.

But I can see the convenience.  You could instead have a tool that
translates an English-like syntax into valid C declarations.  You could
then use that tool as part of your build process, to construct C source
files that you then compile.  It could retain the "English" version as
a comment.

For example, it could take as input:

    @ name as array 5 of pointer to function (float) returning struct tag

and produce as output:

    /* @ name as array 5 of pointer to function (float) returning struct tag */
    struct tag (*name[5])(float);

Personally I'd prefer to run the tool manually and include the generated
declarations in the C source file, which is then what's maintained.  The
automatically generated comments would still be useful.  Any non-C
syntax for declarations is going to annoy experienced C programmers --
much like the old
    #define BEGIN {
    #define END }
stuff.

[...]

-- 
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) kst-u@mib.org  <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
Working, but not speaking, for JetHead Development, Inc.
"We must do something.  This is something.  Therefore, we must do this."
    -- Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, "Yes Minister"