Re: Difference between variables and functions

From: Ulrich Hobelmann (u.hobelmann_at_web.de)
Date: 08/30/05

  • Next message: axel_at_white-eagle.invalid.uk: "Re: Jargons of Info Tech industry" 
    Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 13:07:53 +0200

    joe@invalid.address wrote:
    > The OP's code set an int to 4. Then it tried to call the value 4 as a
    > function, which would mean (I guess) that the compiler was expected to
    > generate code that would just jump to address 4 and start executing.
    >
    > There have been several good responses based on the definition of
    > C. I'm just wondering why you think it would be a good thing for the
    > compiler to blissfully cast the number 4 to a pointer to function and
    > try to start executing code at that address?

    No, as Keith writes, I was under the impression that C had somewhat
    loose type-checking, when often it doesn't. Thanks to you guys for
    educating me!

    > I'm not an expert though, I'm just asking. The fact that it won't do
    > that seems more like reasonable than anal to me.

    Sure, the call doesn't make sense. It was my wrong understanding of C's
    type system that led me to expect that a call to "4" should be compiled ;) 

    -- 
My ideal for the future is to develop a filesystem remote interface
(a la Plan 9) and then have it implemented across the Internet as
the standard rather than HTML.  That would be ultimate cool.
	Ken Thompson
  • Next message: axel_at_white-eagle.invalid.uk: "Re: Jargons of Info Tech industry"

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