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  3. All in - pointer declaration

All in - pointer declaration

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  • S Single Step Debugger

    Type *p;

    or

    Type* p;

    or even

    Type * p;

    Me personally, I do whatever is the current company naming conventions.

    There is only one Vera Farmiga and Salma Hayek is her prophet! Advertise here – minimum three posts per day are guaranteed.

    G Offline
    G Offline
    Gary R Wheeler
    wrote on last edited by
    #24

    I've always preferred "Type  *p" over "Type*  p". To my mind the "pointer-ness" is a property of the variable and not the type. Of course, I've also hated this: typedef Type* TypePtr. If values are declared as TypePtr and you are using pointer-dereferencing with those values, the typedef obfuscates the original type. And before anyone pops up with "but what about...", I think typedef BaseType* OpaqueType is perfectly fine, when you're not using values of OpaqueType as pointers.

    Software Zen: delete this;

    Greg UtasG 1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • G Gary R Wheeler

      I've always preferred "Type  *p" over "Type*  p". To my mind the "pointer-ness" is a property of the variable and not the type. Of course, I've also hated this: typedef Type* TypePtr. If values are declared as TypePtr and you are using pointer-dereferencing with those values, the typedef obfuscates the original type. And before anyone pops up with "but what about...", I think typedef BaseType* OpaqueType is perfectly fine, when you're not using values of OpaqueType as pointers.

      Software Zen: delete this;

      Greg UtasG Offline
      Greg UtasG Offline
      Greg Utas
      wrote on last edited by
      #25

      A problem with

      typedef Type* TypePtr;

      is that if you declare

      const TypePtr p;

      it is p (the pointer itself) that is const, not Type. This can be confusing, so I avoid it.

      Robust Services Core | Software Techniques for Lemmings | Articles
      The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.

      <p><a href="https://github.com/GregUtas/robust-services-core/blob/master/README.md">Robust Services Core</a>
      <em>The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.</em></p>

      G 1 Reply Last reply
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      • M Mircea Neacsu

        type* (pointer is part of type) Now moving on: do you do "west const" or "east const"? Standard C++[^] (surely a lot of people - me included - don't want to do productive work today)

        Mircea

        H Offline
        H Offline
        honey the codewitch
        wrote on last edited by
        #26

        constexpr static const int life_the_universe_and_everything = 42;

        :-\

        To err is human. Fortune favors the monsters.

        M 1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • Greg UtasG Greg Utas

          A problem with

          typedef Type* TypePtr;

          is that if you declare

          const TypePtr p;

          it is p (the pointer itself) that is const, not Type. This can be confusing, so I avoid it.

          Robust Services Core | Software Techniques for Lemmings | Articles
          The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.

          G Offline
          G Offline
          Gary R Wheeler
          wrote on last edited by
          #27

          Good point. To my thinking const-ness, like pointer-ness, are properties of the variable and not the type. Part of my dislike for that sort of thing is people use some kind of naming convention (xxxPtr, xxxCPtr,...) that indicates the variant of the type. It pollutes the name space with additional identifiers you need to recognize. This replaces fundamental language syntax which is consistent by definition with arbitrary naming that may or may not be consistent. I've also noticed that the typedef overusers also tend to cast those types, often using language syntax, to other typedef's they've forgotten.

          Software Zen: delete this;

          Greg UtasG 1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • H honey the codewitch

            constexpr static const int life_the_universe_and_everything = 42;

            :-\

            To err is human. Fortune favors the monsters.

            M Offline
            M Offline
            Mircea Neacsu
            wrote on last edited by
            #28

            Didn't expect less: west coast, shall be west const ;P

            Mircea

            1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • S Single Step Debugger

              Type *p;

              or

              Type* p;

              or even

              Type * p;

              Me personally, I do whatever is the current company naming conventions.

              There is only one Vera Farmiga and Salma Hayek is her prophet! Advertise here – minimum three posts per day are guaranteed.

              J Offline
              J Offline
              jmaida
              wrote on last edited by
              #29

              Thanx for this introduction to computer language pointer constructs specifically related to C. True C++, C# are involved. The string of discussion was quite interesting.

              "A little time, a little trouble, your better day" Badfinger

              1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • S Single Step Debugger

                Type *p;

                or

                Type* p;

                or even

                Type * p;

                Me personally, I do whatever is the current company naming conventions.

                There is only one Vera Farmiga and Salma Hayek is her prophet! Advertise here – minimum three posts per day are guaranteed.

                D Offline
                D Offline
                den2k88
                wrote on last edited by
                #30

                I never met any convention that specifies pointer declarations so I use

                Type* p;

                I learnt with Type *p; but I always found it more complex to understand: after all that identifier holds a pointer to p, so it's type is pointer. Same for Type** p. Only sometimes I mix them around if there are readability reasons, for example Type** *p; can be in my opinion more readable if p holds a pointer to a matrix (i.e. if you need to return a matrix allocated by the callee, switch the matrix to send to the callee based on something, etc).

                GCS/GE d--(d) s-/+ a C+++ U+++ P-- L+@ E-- W+++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X

                1 Reply Last reply
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                • K k5054

                  type *p;

                  Because

                  type* p, q

                  doesn't do what it looks like it does. Of course, that kicks off the argument about multiple variables per type declaration.

                  Keep Calm and Carry On

                  D Offline
                  D Offline
                  den2k88
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #31

                  k5054 wrote:

                  Of course, that kicks off the argument about multiple variables per type declaration.

                  Not an argument: don't do that.

                  GCS/GE d--(d) s-/+ a C+++ U+++ P-- L+@ E-- W+++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • H honey the codewitch

                    I generally agree with you, but I am not all in on that agreement, if that makes sense. Here's why: You have to look up a typedef to know what it is, and typedefs everywhere make it harder to know what's going on until you can adopt the fundamental lexicon that your typedefs essentially create. That said, everything you wrote is valid. I just think there are places where it might be overkill.

                    To err is human. Fortune favors the monsters.

                    D Offline
                    D Offline
                    den2k88
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #32

                    Working with autogenerated code from both MATLAB ans AutoSAR really teaches how much typedef and define complicate the code. Sometimes you have seven or eight redefinitions - it's Hell on Earth.

                    GCS/GE d--(d) s-/+ a C+++ U+++ P-- L+@ E-- W+++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X

                    R 1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • D den2k88

                      Working with autogenerated code from both MATLAB ans AutoSAR really teaches how much typedef and define complicate the code. Sometimes you have seven or eight redefinitions - it's Hell on Earth.

                      GCS/GE d--(d) s-/+ a C+++ U+++ P-- L+@ E-- W+++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X

                      R Offline
                      R Offline
                      Rage
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #33

                      AutoSAR ? You doing automotive development ?

                      Do not escape reality : improve reality !

                      D 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • R Rage

                        AutoSAR ? You doing automotive development ?

                        Do not escape reality : improve reality !

                        D Offline
                        D Offline
                        den2k88
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #34

                        Yep, though I'm not touching AutoSAR since a couple of years - I moved to lower level peripherals that run on TLE987x and similar.

                        GCS/GE d--(d) s-/+ a C+++ U+++ P-- L+@ E-- W+++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X

                        R 1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • D den2k88

                          Yep, though I'm not touching AutoSAR since a couple of years - I moved to lower level peripherals that run on TLE987x and similar.

                          GCS/GE d--(d) s-/+ a C+++ U+++ P-- L+@ E-- W+++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X

                          R Offline
                          R Offline
                          Rage
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #35

                          Now this is interesting, since I am working on that exact Infineon family as well !

                          Do not escape reality : improve reality !

                          D 1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • R Rage

                            Now this is interesting, since I am working on that exact Infineon family as well !

                            Do not escape reality : improve reality !

                            D Offline
                            D Offline
                            den2k88
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #36

                            It's the golden standard, it's HV driver protections are second to none and the RTE is flawless.

                            GCS/GE d--(d) s-/+ a C+++ U+++ P-- L+@ E-- W+++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • G Gary R Wheeler

                              Good point. To my thinking const-ness, like pointer-ness, are properties of the variable and not the type. Part of my dislike for that sort of thing is people use some kind of naming convention (xxxPtr, xxxCPtr,...) that indicates the variant of the type. It pollutes the name space with additional identifiers you need to recognize. This replaces fundamental language syntax which is consistent by definition with arbitrary naming that may or may not be consistent. I've also noticed that the typedef overusers also tend to cast those types, often using language syntax, to other typedef's they've forgotten.

                              Software Zen: delete this;

                              Greg UtasG Offline
                              Greg UtasG Offline
                              Greg Utas
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #37

                              I often define a typedef for a template instantiation, to keep the type succinct:

                              typedef std::unique_ptr ClassPtr;
                              typedef std::vector ClassPtrVector;

                              And then there are things like

                              typedef int main_t; // returned by main()
                              typedef int signal_t; // a POSIX signal
                              typedef uint16_t ipport_t; // an IP port number

                              which do a much better job than simple int types when documenting, or searching for, data and functions that deal with these things.

                              Robust Services Core | Software Techniques for Lemmings | Articles
                              The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.

                              <p><a href="https://github.com/GregUtas/robust-services-core/blob/master/README.md">Robust Services Core</a>
                              <em>The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.</em></p>

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • P PIEBALDconsult

                                (Lights his torch.)

                                O Offline
                                O Offline
                                obermd
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #38

                                Is that to pop the popcorn?

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • T trønderen

                                  Yeah, but in

                                  int x, *y;

                                  is the * part of the type declaration or the variable declaration? If it is part of the type declaration, then type of y is declared in two parts, with an interspersed (and rather irrelevant) variable declaration. Is that very rational? It is valid C!

                                  J Offline
                                  J Offline
                                  jschell
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #39

                                  The discussion is subjective as was the opinion of the columnist to which I referred. But as an authoritative opinion (as a columnist) the argument did provide a specific rationalization.

                                  trønderen wrote:

                                  int x, *y;

                                  I don't code using that form. And I very, very seldom see it used or even a case where it might be used. So as a rationalization for doing it all the time it does not seem to be very valid.

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