SIMPLE malloc & pointer question

[diamond@tkovoa]

In article <7206 at helios.TAMU.EDU> jdm5548 at diamond.tamu.edu (James Darrell McCauley) writes:

 >main() {
 >  int *a,*b;
Initially, a and b are NULL pointers (do not point to anything usable).
 >  b=(int *)malloc( (unsigned) 4*sizeof(int));
Now b points to some storage that the program can use, and a is still null.
 >  inita(a,b);
Now b still points to some storage that the program can use, and a is still
null.  The null pointer in a was copied to inita's first argument.  The
useful pointer in b was copied to initb's second argument.  Nothing was
copied back.  C function calls are call-by-value, not call-by-value-return,
not call-by-reference.
 >}
 >inita (a,b) int a[],b[]; {
 >  a=(int *)malloc( (unsigned) 4*sizeof(int));
This changes one of inita's variables from null to a useful pointer.
Unfortunately, no one gives the useful pointer back to main.
 >}

(Note to the FAQ list maintainer:  Does the FAQ list mention call-by-value?)
-- 
Norman Diamond, Nihon DEC     diamond at tkou02.enet.dec.com
This is me speaking.  If you want to hear the company speak, you need DECtalk.