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cpointersfunction-pointers
h3t1
h3t1

Reputation: 1236

what does this type int * ( * ) ( int * ) represent in c language?

Can anybody explain exactly what this type means int * (*) (int *) in C language?

Thanks,

Upvotes: 0

Views: 1880

Answers (3)

cslrnr
cslrnr

Reputation: 747

You have to read about "left-right" rule on reading C declrations. Here is the link provides instructions. Rather than giving anwser this will help you learn the stuff to practice on your own. http://cseweb.ucsd.edu/~ricko/rt_lt.rule.html

Upvotes: 1

John Bollinger
John Bollinger

Reputation: 180191

Unless int is defined as a macro, int * (*) (int *) contains neither any constants nor any identifiers, therefore it cannot be an expression. Rather, it is a type. Specifically, it is the type of a pointer to a function that accepts one parameter, of type int *, and returns a value of type int *. For example, it is compatible with a pointer to this function:

int *foo(int *x) {
    return x + 1;
}

You might use it in a typecast expression, such as in this contrived example:

int *(*p)() = foo;
int *(*p2)(int *) = (int * (*)(int *)) p;
// here ------------^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Upvotes: 3

Achal
Achal

Reputation: 11921

This

int * (*) (int *); /* not valid expression */

is not a valid syntax in C. You might want to know

int * (*func) (int *); /* valid : function pointer declaration */

where func is a function pointer, can point to a function which takes input argument of int* type and which returns int*.

Upvotes: 2

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