RE: ARGH!!! Pointers

[Scott Mildenberger <Smildenber@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mark,

The problem is that you are returning a pointer to a data structure that is
defined locally to the subprocedure, the data structure goes away when the
subprocedure ends.  You mainline code now has a pointer to memory that is
available for the operating system to reuse!  Thus, when you call another
subprocedure the memory gets allocated to a field defined locally in that
subprocedure.  You need to define the field globally if it is to exist after
the call to the subprocedure, or you can define it as 'static' in the
subprocedure.  A method to accomplish this is to define the data structure
globally and pass it as a parameter to the subprocedure that fills it with
data.  And, if you use the default of passing that parameter by reference
then it really only passes the address (pointer) to it anyway when the call
is made.

Scott Mildenberger