nullusDefectus wrote:

Also, the declaration char *c, d makes c a char*, but d a char. This confuses beginners who are used to declarations such as int a, b which makes both a and b ints. Thus, the declaration char* c is preferred: easier to learn and safer.

Your claim and conclusion are backwards! It's writing char* c, d; that confuses beginners for the exact reason that you give. Writing char *c, d; is the correct way to teach, learn, and remind yourself and readers of your code that the * applies to c only. Given the language grammar...

simple-declaration ::= decl-specifier-seq init-declarator-list(optional) ;
Note the space ---^

... writing...

char *c;
---^

... also demonstrates that you know what you're doing. This is how you explain it to beginners and they will remember... ;)

As others have pointed out before, the issue is char* c, d; vs. char *c, *d; The C++ grammar says that a declaration has the form decl-specifier-seq init-declarator-list; char is the decl-specifier, and what follows is one or more declarators (with optional initializers). *c is a declarator, and *d (or plain d) is another one. So, if you write char* c then you're needlessly confusing your (and your reader's) mental image of the C++ grammar.