Array of pointers to functions

[dan at BBN-PROPHET.ARPA]

Re array of pointers to functions: the way I think of it is that C
declarations must be read "from the inside out".  Start with the
identifier itself, and work your way out from the tightest-binding
declaration operator to the loosest.  The first declaration operator you
hit gives you the fundamental type of the object.  So, given a declaration
containing

	... (*x) ...

No matter what is surrounding the "(*x)", x is a pointer.  Always.
Never an array, function, etc., though what it points to may involve
these.  On the other hand, given

	... (x[5]) ...

X is definitely an array of 5 (somethings).  Maybe pointers, ints, etc.
So, to construct an array of pointers, you say

	(x[])

to get the array, and add the '*' next:

	(*(x[]))

Now it's an array of pointers.  What do they point to?  Functions:

	( (*(x[])) () )

Now all you need to do is specify what the functions return:

     int ( (*(x[])) () )

And you're done.  However, you've left behind a pretty confusing
declaration.  C typedefs are the perfect way to make things like this easy
to understand:

    typedef int FUNC();
    typedef FUNC * FUNC_PTR;
    FUNC_PTR x[];

Now it's quite clear that x is an array of function pointers.  I usually
use some variation on this when I have to construct such arrays; it's a
lot clearer, even to people like me who have been using C for years.
Hope this helps.

	Dan Franklin