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C's syntax (was Re: Python Formatted C Converter (PfCC))

Christian Tanzer tanzer at swing.co.at
Tue Oct 24 03:20:33 EDT 2000 
Erik Max Francis <max at alcyone.com> wrote:

> > or
> >     foo* bar, baz;    /* NOT two pointers... */
> 
> That's a programmer error.  In declaring pointers, the * is a declarator
> and binds to the variable, not the type.  That's why coding styles such
> as writing `int* p' end up only causing problems, because they imply
> that the * binds to the type when it does not.

It's a programmer error in the same sense as Three Mile Island was an
operator error (as was the Therac 25 and countless plane crashes).
In Three Mile Island some very important instruments were located at
the back of the operator consoles...

In all these cases, there were fundamental design problems which
practically guaranteed accidents. Calling such a design reasonably
good is euphemistic at best.

-- 
Christian Tanzer                                         tanzer at swing.co.at
Glasauergasse 32                                       Tel: +43 1 876 62 36
A-1130 Vienna, Austria                                 Fax: +43 1 877 66 92
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