function with variable function arguments

Hi all!
I need a function that take a number of pointer to function arguments defined by its first argument.
I usually solve the problem with a single (or a fixed number of) argument using something like this:

Code:

...
float f(float x);
void ex( float (*f)(float x) );

My problem arise when i want to have the first argument of ex to be number of float function arguments that ex have to accept: how can i tell to va_arg the type of an argument of this sort?

Try this: Variable Argument Lists in C and C++ - Cprogramming.com

Code:

void ex ( int numArgs, ... );

Called like

Code:

ex( 3, f1, f2, f3 );

The usual stdarg.h examples should be enough from here on in.

actually i know about the functions in stdarg.h (otherwise i couldn't have known about va_arg). My problem is that i have to tell to va_arg the type of the argument, but i don't know the syntax to refer to a "pointer to function that takes float and return float" type without specifying the name of a variable. I tried something like

Code:

va_arg(whatever, float (*)(float) )

but obviously this doesn't work
EDIT: i think i figured out a way using typedef, but i would like to know if there is a direct way...

EDIT: i think i figured out a way using typedef, but i would like to know if there is a direct way...

No, the typedef is required. Many compilers will work with the example va_arg call you showed (and if I didn't know better I would expect it to work, too). However, it is invalid according to the standard:

From C99 7.15.1.1:

Code:

type va_arg(va_list ap, type);

[...]
The parameter type shall be a type name specified such that the type of a pointer to an object that has the specified type can be obtained simply by postfixing a * to type.

To get a pointer to a function pointer you've got to stick the * in the middle of the declaration, not at the end. Thus your only option is a typedef.

Thanks for the answers.
I tried again the code that i posted abode... apparently i was wrong, as it compile and works; i didn't effectively runned the program before with that syntax becouse i received a "syntax error"... and strangely the syntax error remains, but the code is compiled anyway. Probably one of those cases where the code is not strictly correct (i.e. doesn't stick to the standard) but is compiled anyway?

Dunno - I tried something like it as well, and it compiles with MinGW.

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdarg.h>

void ex ( int num, ... )
{
  va_list arguments;
  int x;
  float (*p)(float);

  va_start ( arguments, num );
  for ( x = 0; x < num; x++ ) {
    p = (float(*)(float))(va_arg(arguments,void*));
    p = va_arg(arguments, float(*)(float) );
  }
  va_end ( arguments );

  return;
}

int main ( ) {
    return 0;
}

I might be tempted to go for the first one anyway. When you pass parameters in the ... positions, ALL type information is lost, and smaller types (short, char, float etc) are promoted to default long types (like int and double).

Similarly, on machines with variable sized pointers, they would have to be "promoted" to void*, and to extract them from a va_list, you would need to read them as void*, and then cast them back to the correct type.

Probably one of those cases where the code is not strictly correct (i.e. doesn't stick to the standard) but is compiled anyway?

As I said, some compilers will accept it, but it is not standard.

I have two compilers (tcc and Solaris Studio) that fail to compile it, as is their right. If you want correct code, use the typedef.

I use the native gcc compiler on linux, which should be the same of MinGW. Looking better, i figured out that gcc compiles fine the direct syntax, too... the "syntax error" was just the IDE (eclipse).
Anyway, sticking to the standards, is the

Code:

p = (float(*)(float))(va_arg(arguments,void*))

syntax correct (front the standard point of view i mean)?

Originally Posted by Kyl

Thanks for the answers.
I tried again the code that i posted abode... apparently i was wrong, as it compile and works; i didn't effectively runned the program before with that syntax becouse i received a "syntax error"... and strangely the syntax error remains, but the code is compiled anyway. Probably one of those cases where the code is not strictly correct (i.e. doesn't stick to the standard) but is compiled anyway?

No, a syntax error means that it could not compile your code. There is no way to run code with a syntax error. What you ran had to have been what was compiled previously.

You can't convert a function pointer to void* (it's not guaranteed to work by the standard, is what I mean). Syntactically the code is fine if you properly use casts, but it might not work.

Use the typedef. That's the correct method. There's no reason to work around it.