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V G <x.solarwind.x@gmail.com> writes:
> This is an opinion question. I am curious as to what you all think is a
> good way to do this:
>
> In C/C++, what is your preferred way or declaring pointers?
>
> A) int*    p;
> B) int    *p;
> C) int  *  p;
>
> I think it should be A because it's logical and the C/C++ compiler
> considersint*to be the type, and the syntax is<type> <identifier>;
>
> However, I see B a lot in code, and it doesn't make sense to me. Also,
> function prototypes are usually written like so:
>
> void myFunction(int*, int*, char*); with the asterisk close to the type.

The mature free software libraries that I have seen generally name
arguments to functions in the declarations as well. This serves as a
sort of minimal documentation and there's not really any downside to
doing so. As a result, I would expect to see

  void myFunction (int *a, int *b, char *str)

(except I wouldn't use camelCase likeThat)

>
> Note that when doing this:
>
> int* x, y;
>
> Type type of x is int* whereas the type of y is int. To make the type of
> both of them int*, one must do:
>
> int *x, *y;

This is why most experienced C programmers prefer "style B".

  int *x, y;

looks more like the * applies only to the x.

>
> Apparently, the spaces get removed during compile time and it just become=
s
> int*x to the compiler.

Well, that doesn't really make much sense. White space is always pretty
much ignored in C: what is going on is that the "*" binds more tightly
than the comma. (Although, strictly speaking, I don't think the comma or
the asterisk in such a statement is acting as an operator, so binding
precedence isn't quite the right language for it)

> *
> Which way do you prefer?*

The right one, B :-)


Rupert

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