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How to interpret complex pointer declarations in c?

The following is the order of precedence, operators and its associativity.

   Precedence Order                   Operators                      Associativity     
1 ()   []  ->  Left To Right
2   ++  --  *  &  Identifier   Right to Left


We have a package named cdecl(compose C type declarations) available in linux which can be used to interpret complex pointer declarations.

How to install cdecl package?
 jp@jp-VirtualBox:~/$ sudo apt-get install cdecl 

The explain statement in cdecl decodes any given C declarations.  Below are the complex C pointer declarations.

int  *num
char  **str
int ( *arr ) [ 15 ]
int  *arr [ 15 ]
int *fun ( )
int ( *fun ) ( int, int )
int ( *arr[] ) ( )
char ( *( *fun ( ) ) [ ] ) ( )
char ( *( *arr[ 5 ] ) ( ) )[ 7 ]

Let us decode the above pointer declarations one by one.

1. int *num;
  jp@jp-VirtualBox:~/$ cdecl
  Type `help' or `?' for help
  cdecl> explain int *num
  declare num as pointer to int
  • Identifier "num" has higher priority (right to left associativity) than Indirection operator(*).  So, the above declaration is read as "num is pointer to integer"

2. char  **str
  cdecl> explain char **str
  declare str as pointer to pointer to char
  • Identifier "str" has higher priority than indirection operators(**).  So, the above above declaration is read as "str is a pointer to pointer to char"

3. int ( *arr ) [ 15 ]
  cdecl> explain int ( *arr ) [ 15 ]
  declare arr as pointer to array 15 of int
  • ( *arr ) has higher priority than [15].  So, first we need to decode ( *arr ).  ( *arr ) can be read as "arr is pointer to"
  • [15 ] can be read as "array 15"
  • Let us concatenate the above decoded information altogether and the resultant would be "arr is a pointer to array 15 of type integer"
4. int  *arr [ 15 ]
  cdecl> explain int  *arr [ 15 ]
  declare arr as array 15 of pointer to int
  • [15] has higher priority than *arr.  [15] can be read as "array 15 of"
  • int *  - pointer to integer
  • Let us concatenate the above decoded information altogether and the resultant would be "arr is array 15 of pointer to integer"
5. int *fun ( )
  cdecl> explain int * fun()
  declare fun as function returning pointer to int
  • fun() has higher priority than (int *).  So, the above declaration can be read as "fun is a function returning pointer to integer"
6. int ( *fun ) (int, int)
  cdecl> explain int ( *fun ) (int, int)
  declare fun as pointer to function(int, int) returning int
  • ( *fun ) has higher priority than (int, int) - (left to right associativity).  So, ( *fun ) can be read as "pointer to function(int, int)"
  • integer is the return value
  • Let us concatenate the above decoded information altogether and the resultant would be "fun is a pointer to function(int, int) returning integer"
7. int ( *arr[] ) ( )
  cdecl> explain int ( *arr[] ) ( )
  declare arr as array of pointer to function returning int
  • ( *arr[] ) has higher priority than () - (left to right associativity).
  • ( *arr[]) - [] has higher priority than indirection operator.  So, ( *arr[] ) can be read as "array of pointer"
  • () - to function
  • integer is the return type
  • Let us concatenate the above decoded information altogether and the resultant would be "arr is an array of pointer to function returning integer"
8. char ( *( *fun ( ) ) [ ] ) ( )
  cdecl> explain char ( *( *fun ( ) ) [ ] ) ( )
  declare fun as function returning pointer to array of pointer to function returning char
  • char ( *( *fun ( ) ) [ ] ) ( ) => ( * fun() ) has the highest priority and it would be interpreted as "function returning pointer"
  • char ( * ( * fun () ) [ ] ) ( ) => [ ] has higher priority than indirection operator(*).  So, square brace is read as "array of"  and the indirection operator is read as "pointer to"
  • character is the return type
  • Let us concatenate the above decoded information altogether and the resultant would be "fun is a function returning pointer to array of pointer to function returning char"
9. char ( *( *arr[ 5 ] ) ( ) )[ 7 ]
  cdecl> explain char ( *( *arr[ 5 ] ) ( ) )[ 7 ]
  declare arr as array 5 of pointer to function returning pointer to array 7 of char

  • char ( *( *arr[ 5 ] ) ( ) )[ 7 ] => ( *arr[ 5 ] ) has the highest priority and it would be interpreted as "array 5 of pointer to function"
  • char ( *( *arr[ 5 ] ) ( ) )[ 7 ] => The highlighted part would be interpreted as "returning pointer to array 7 of character"
  • Let us concatenate the above decoded information altogether and the resultant would be "arr is an array 5 of pointer to function returning pointer to array 7 of char"
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