RE: **Pointers

[Jim Langston <jlangston@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

C uses what are called "typed pointers".  In C when you declare a pointer
you have to declare what it is pointing to.

int *MyInt;        // A pointer to an integer or array of integer
char *MyChar;      // A pointer to a character or array of characters
float *MyFloat;    // A pointer to a float or array of floats

In RPG we use what are called "untyped pointers".  We just declare a
pointer, it can point to anything.

D MyPointer                   *

We generally BASE it on something to use it as a type.

In C the syntax:
char *MyChar;

Would be in RPG:
D MyChar                    1A
D @MyChar                   *  BASED(MyChar)

HTH,

Regards,

Jim Langston

-----Original Message-----
From: Sunil [mailto:sunil_ramakumar@USSWI.com]

Hai,

I am a bit new to pointers and the related stuff in RPG. I am confused when
some authors say *char, string* etc.
As far as my understanding goes you cant define a datatype for a pointer (
infact pointer itself is a datatype, right!!).
Am I right? If I am what does *char mean?
Does it simply refer to the data that we know must is stored in the memory
space pointed by the pointer?

Regards

Sunil