return a random data type?

hello, I have that strange question about if a function can return a random type of data. Let me explain with a sample

Code:

---

#include <conio.h>
#include <stdio.h>

#define SPEED  1
#define NAME    2

struct STSPEED {int s,t;};

allDataTypes myStrangeFunction(int what)
{
switch(what)
    {
    case SPEED:
        {
        return (allDataTypes)STSPEED;
        }
    break;
    case NAME:
        {
        return (allDataTypes)char*;
        }
    break;
    }
}

float mySpeed(STSPEED sts)
{
return (float)(sts.s/sts.t);
}

int main()
{
allDataTypes ADT;

/*first let me calcule an auto speed*/
ADT=myStrangeFunction(SPEED);
memset(ADT,0,sizeof(ADT));
ADT.s=100;
ADT.t=1;
printf("%f\n",mySpeed(ADT));

/*and now let me printf my name*/
ADT=myStrangeFunction(NAME);
ADT=(char*)malloc(256);
memset(ADT,0,sizeof(ADT));
sprintf(ADT,"My name");
printf("%s\n",ADT);
free(ADT);

getch();
return 0;
}

---

obviously that won't compile. my question is if that's possible to create a data type that can be converted to whatever other data type, so on my sample the variable ADT would be fantasiously converted first into a struct and last into a char*.
is it possible to do?

thank's in advance
Niara

PS: I haven't tryed to google for that, nor search on the cboard search engine, because I'm not sure about the title for so ridiculous question :)

void *,

oh, you want to return the actual type.. maybe you can do this with a macro.

you could do something like this with a template function

Code:

---

template <typename RETURN_TYPE>
RETURN_TYPE DoSomething(void)
{
    RETURN_TYPE result = RETURN_TYPE(); // calls default ctor (works for pods too)
    return result;
}

---

not sure what you hope to achieve with this though...

hello, thank's both for your time
yes, I'm also not sure for what this will be usefull, it was only something that I have always been thinking about but I never dare to ask.
I have been thinking about the macro solution but I'm not sure about how to do it, also I have tried with the void* but I always get an error like 'can't convert type to void'. Then I have been looking for more info about templates, but I can't find a way to return some datatype without errors.
tomorrow I'll continue testing all that.
thank's.

Niara