Re: pointers

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From	Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
Subject	Re: pointers
Date	Sun, 23 Oct 2016 17:27:56 -0700
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BartC <bc@freeuk.com> writes:
> On 23/10/2016 18:58, James R. Kuyper wrote:
>> On 10/23/2016 01:35 PM, asetofsymbols@gmail.com wrote:
>>> I mean int *pointer, ***p;
>>> p=&(&pointer);
>>> What does it point p to?
>>
>> The parentheses are redundant, it's equivalent to & &pointer, which, as
>> I've already said, is a constraint violation. Since &pointer is not an
>> lvalue, it does not designate an object, violating 6.5.3.2p1.
>>
>> Let me expand on that explanation. &pointer is a pointer value which
>> points at the pointer object named 'pointer'. This value does not have a
>> corresponding C object that it need be stored in. That's why it's not an
>> lvalue.
[snip]
> Why not just say that & &pointer is illegal?

He did say that.  Actually he said something more accurate, that it's a
constraint violation.  He also went on to explain why.  I don't know why
you'd object to that.

> It is as meaningful as &25 (and I doubt many implementations will set up 
> a storage location containing 25 and return a pointer to that).
>
> & & is sometimes allowed like this:
>
>   int **pointer;
>
>   & & &**pointer;
>
> where the & & and ** cancel out. But gcc doesn't like it so it wouldn't 
> be wise to depend on it.

No, that's not allowed (more precisely, it's still a constraint
violation).  N1570 6.5.3.2 says that &*foo is equivalent to foo
"except that the constraints on the operators still apply and the
result is not an lvalue".

>                          For gcc, it needs to be written like this:
>
>   &*&*&pointer;
>
> with the & and * interleaved.

Because that's a different expression, which is not a constraint
violation.  The same applies to any conforming compiler.

-- 
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"

Thread

pointers asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2016-10-23 08:11 -0700
  Re: pointers Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2016-10-23 16:26 +0100
    Re: pointers asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2016-10-23 10:35 -0700
      Re: pointers Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2016-10-23 17:47 +0000
        Re: pointers asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2016-10-25 12:55 -0700
      Re: pointers "James R. Kuyper" <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2016-10-23 13:58 -0400
        Re: pointers BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-10-24 00:55 +0100
          Re: pointers Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-10-23 17:27 -0700
            Re: pointers BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-10-24 11:53 +0100
              Re: pointers supercat@casperkitty.com - 2016-10-24 07:29 -0700
                Re: pointers Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-10-24 08:55 -0700
                Re: pointers Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-10-24 14:02 -0700
                Re: pointers Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-10-24 14:42 -0700
                Re: pointers Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-10-25 08:56 -0700
                Re: pointers Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-10-25 12:17 -0700
                Re: pointers Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-10-26 06:37 -0700
              Re: pointers Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-10-24 08:49 -0700
                Re: pointers BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-10-24 17:25 +0100
                Re: pointers Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-10-24 09:52 -0700
                Re: pointers BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-10-24 18:15 +0100
                Re: pointers Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-10-24 12:20 -0700
                Re: pointers BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-10-24 20:58 +0100
                Re: pointers Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-10-24 13:16 -0700
                Re: pointers BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-10-24 23:53 +0100
                Re: pointers Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-10-25 13:38 -0700
                Re: pointers BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-10-25 23:06 +0100
                Re: pointers Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-10-25 15:39 -0700
                Re: pointers BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-10-26 00:26 +0100
                Re: pointers Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-10-25 16:44 -0700
                Re: pointers BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-10-26 01:02 +0100
                Re: pointers Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-10-25 17:35 -0700
                Re: pointers Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2016-10-26 06:27 +0000
                Re: pointers BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-10-26 12:47 +0100
                Re: pointers Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-10-26 09:05 -0700
                Re: pointers BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-10-26 18:46 +0100
                Re: pointers supercat@casperkitty.com - 2016-10-26 11:44 -0700
                Re: pointers BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-10-26 20:12 +0100
                Re: pointers BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-10-26 20:30 +0100
                Re: pointers supercat@casperkitty.com - 2016-10-26 13:02 -0700
                Re: pointers Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-10-26 11:52 -0700
                Re: pointers Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2016-10-26 19:11 +0000
                Re: pointers BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-10-26 21:25 +0100
                Re: pointers "James R. Kuyper" <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2016-10-25 18:56 -0400
                Re: pointers "James R. Kuyper" <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2016-10-25 19:12 -0400
                Re: pointers Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-10-25 16:31 -0700
                Re: pointers Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-10-24 21:36 +0100
                Re: pointers BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-10-25 16:54 +0100
                Re: pointers Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-10-25 19:09 +0100
                Re: pointers supercat@casperkitty.com - 2016-10-24 11:33 -0700
                Re: pointers Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-10-24 12:22 -0700
          Re: pointers James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2016-10-24 10:23 -0400
  Re: pointers "James R. Kuyper" <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2016-10-23 12:31 -0400
    Re: pointers Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2016-10-23 17:38 +0100
  Re: pointers Lorinczy Zsigmond <zsiga@nospam.for.me> - 2016-10-24 14:02 +0200
  Re: pointers John Bode <jfbode1029@gmail.com> - 2016-10-24 13:34 -0700

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