Re: Prototyping printf()

["Simon Coulter" <shc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

�
Hello Joel,

You wrote:
>I may be missing something, but I think it hinges on the conveniently(?)
>ambiguous way strings work in C  and printf()'s being a function with a
>variable argument list.  Even though strings are pointers in C, there are
>situations, like printf(), where you can use them like the numeric data
>types. 

I think you are missing that fact the C compiler is not just passing pointers.  
If it 
were then an RPG definition that also passed pointers would work.  The trick 
would be in 
whether the address of the pointer was passed or the value of the pointer.  
However the C 
compiler is passing the list of variables according to their type and also 
useing the 
normal C behaviour of passing by value.  So variable argument lists can be 
handled by 
passing everything by the value of the vatiable.  RPG normally passes by 
reference 
therefore we need to use a prototype to override that behaviour and then RPG 
requires us 
to specify the data type and that's where the problem lies.

>I would be surprised and gratified if there were a way to do it, but I think
>you've hit on something where there is no common ground between the two
>languagages.  

Funny about that!

>BTW, how are you using printf() in RPG?  Is it CGI?   

No.  It was just an experiment.

Regards,
Simon Coulter.

��������������������������������������������������������������������
�� FlyByNight Software         AS/400 Technical Specialists       ��
�� Eclipse the competition - run your business on an IBM AS/400.  ��
��                                                                ��
�� Phone: +61 3 9419 0175      Mobile: +61 0411 091 400           ��
�� Fax:   +61 3 9419 0175      mailto: shc@flybynight.com.au      ��
��                                                                ��
�� Windoze should not be open at Warp speed.                      ��
��������������������������������������������������������������������
+---
| This is the RPG/400 Mailing List!
| To submit a new message, send your mail to RPG400-L@midrange.com.
| To subscribe to this list send email to RPG400-L-SUB@midrange.com.
| To unsubscribe from this list send email to RPG400-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
| Questions should be directed to the list owner/operator: david@midrange.com
+---