Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back

From	Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
Subject	Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back
Date	2016-06-30 13:00 +0100
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<87y45mevjm.fsf@bsb.me.uk> (permalink)
References	<f815fe15-66d5-4310-ab75-f26c6ede6a9b@googlegroups.com> <e31efcab-d569-4865-82d9-28b8d0a94c1c@googlegroups.com> <77505c3c-f80e-47d9-8449-d504c28c9aa1@googlegroups.com> <44f7191e-8c44-43a2-801f-fa9238e32784@googlegroups.com>

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Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> writes:

> On Thursday, June 30, 2016 at 12:30:14 AM UTC+1, Rick C. Hodgin wrote:
>>
>> Types.  I have attempted to arrange my SAbc structure to be declared in
>> the abc.h file, along with all the normal abc_*() functions, etc.  But,
>> because SAbc is a first-class citizen, it is also used in xyz.h, def.h,
>> etc.  And when they reference the unknown struct as by passed parameter
>> type, it's okay.  But in the function body if it does something with one
>> of the members, then it must be declared before use.  So, I rearrange
>> my headers.  But now I've got SLmn and so on, and they all do the same.
>> 
> Types are a nuisance.

Many people think quite the opposite.  Types are a huge convenience.  C
evolved from the typeless B by adding "just enough" of the type concept
to make it useful, but it remains only very loosely typed so it is not a
particularly good example to demonstrate how types help the programmer.
Even so...

> A function takes a path described by a Bezier spline, so you need
> four points for each segments, with the not shared, possibly
> "corner" flags to indicate G1 continuity, and probably a flag
> for whether the path is closed.
> However there are many sensible ways of arranging that data, and
> no firm conventions on what names to use. Quite likely there will
> be a "point" structure defined somewhere else which the Bezier path
> will be dependent on. There might also be a "vector" structure
> defined by the language you wrote the basic Bezier routines in.
> Theb something as simple as a boolean for the path closed flag
> might be typedefed as "BOOL" somewhere else.
>
> The more bits and pieces you add, the harder it gets to make
> your code interoperate with anything else, and all because
> of an essentially trivial data formatting problem.

... types help to solve this problem.  First, they alert you to the fact
that the data layout in the two kind of point might be different.
Second, they document the layout so it's easy to do the conversion if
it's needed.  Implicit data formats were not convenient and few people
who were forced to use them want to go back.

-- 
Ben.

Thread

Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-06-29 10:36 -0700
  Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back supercat@casperkitty.com - 2016-06-29 16:04 -0700
    Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-06-29 16:30 -0700
      Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-06-29 19:52 -0700
        Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-06-30 13:00 +0100
          Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-06-30 05:42 -0700
            Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-06-30 18:11 +0100
              Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-06-30 10:30 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-06-30 19:54 +0100
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-06-30 12:31 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2016-07-01 07:59 +1200
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back Gareth Owen <gwowen@gmail.com> - 2016-06-30 21:31 +0100
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-06-30 14:19 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-06-30 14:31 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-06-30 21:18 +0100
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-06-30 14:26 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-06-30 22:44 +0100
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-06-30 17:23 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2016-07-05 21:38 +0200
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2016-07-05 21:05 +0100
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-07-05 13:32 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2016-07-05 23:20 +0200
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-07-05 14:25 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-07-05 16:14 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2016-07-06 11:18 +0200
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-07-06 03:36 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-07-05 16:23 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2016-07-06 11:29 +0200
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-07-06 02:49 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-07-06 05:18 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-06 13:57 +0100
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-07-06 06:24 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2016-07-06 15:22 +0200
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-07-06 07:12 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-07-06 08:08 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back supercat@casperkitty.com - 2016-07-06 09:00 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2016-07-07 08:01 +1200
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back supercat@casperkitty.com - 2016-07-06 13:30 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-06 17:30 +0100
    Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-06-30 00:39 +0100
      Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-06-30 22:08 +0200
  Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back gordonb.h5sc5@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) - 2016-06-29 20:52 -0500
    Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-06-29 19:00 -0700
      Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2016-06-30 16:06 +1200
        Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-06-30 02:48 -0700
          Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2016-06-30 23:25 +1200
            Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-06-30 04:39 -0700
              Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-06-30 21:50 +0200
            Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-06-30 06:49 -0700
              Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-06-30 22:23 +0200
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-07-04 10:43 -0700
                Vaporware (Was: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke ...) gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2016-07-04 17:59 +0000
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back Randy Howard <rhoward.mx@EverybodyUsesIt.com> - 2016-07-06 12:38 -0500
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-07-06 11:38 -0700
          Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-06-30 19:51 +0100
            Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-06-30 21:59 +0200
              Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-07-01 01:05 -0700
        Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-06-30 11:32 +0100
          Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2016-06-30 23:23 +1200
            Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-06-30 14:28 +0100
              Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back supercat@casperkitty.com - 2016-06-30 08:24 -0700
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-06-30 16:56 +0100
              Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-06-30 22:17 +0200
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-06-30 22:22 +0100
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-07-01 08:25 +0200
                Re: Forward declarations ... the straw that broke the camel's back BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-01 12:09 +0100

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