C types cheat sheet

[Bob Devine]

  Here is a table of how to interpret C declarations.  It lists the
possible combinations of arrays, pointers, and functions for up to
three choices.  It also shows what combinations are illegal.

  I'm posting this because I found it helpful, in its side-by-side display,
in explaining tricky declarations (ie, int (*paf)[](); versus int (*apf[])();)
for those times when talking it through doesn't help.  Let me plug Chris Torek's
cdecl program: use of it helps show people how C constructs a declaration.

  This listing came from Joe Treat.  Where he got it is unknown.

Bob Devine
------------------------ cut here ----------------------------------------
int i;		/* integer */
int *p;		/* pointer to integer */
int a[];	/* array of integer */
int f();	/* function returning integer */

int **pp;	/* pointer to pointer to int */
int (*pa)[];	/* pointer to array of int */
int (*pf)();	/* pointer to function returning int */
int *ap[];	/* array of pointer to int */
int aa[][];	/* array of array of int */
int af[]();	/* array of int functions (ILLEGAL)*/
int *fp();	/* function returning pointer to int */
int fa()[];	/* function returning array of int (ILLEGAL)*/
int ff()();	/* function returning function returning int (ILLEGAL)*/

int ***ppp;	/* pointer to pointer to pointer to int */
int (**ppa)[];	/* pointer to pointer to array of int */
int (**ppf)();	/* pointer to pointer to function returning int */
int *(*pap)[];	/* pointer to array of pointer to int */
int (*paa)[][];	/* pointer to array of array of int */
int (*paf)[]();	/* pointer to array of function returning int (ILLEGAL)*/
int *(*pfp)();	/* pointer to function returning pointer to int */
int (*pfa)()[];	/* pointer to function returning array of int (ILLEGAL)*/
int (*pff)()();	/* pointer to function returning function returning int (ILLEGAL)*/
int **app[];	/* array of pointer to pointer to int */
int (*apa[])[];	/* array of pointer to array of int */
int (*apf[])();	/* array of pointer to function returning int */
int *aap[][];	/* array of array of pointer to int */
int aaa[][][];	/* array of array of array of int */
int aaf[][]();	/* array of array of function returning int (ILLEGAL)*/
int *afp[]();	/* array of function returning pointer to int */
int afa[]()[];	/* array of function returning array of int (ILLEGAL)*/
int aff[]()();	/* array of function returning function returning int (ILLEGAL)*/
int **fpp();	/* function returning pointer to pointer to int */
int (*fpa())[];	/* function returning pointer to array of int */
int (*fpf())();	/* function returning pointer to function returning int */
int *fap()[];	/* function returning array of pointer to int (ILLEGAL)*/
int faa()[][];	/* function returning array of array of int (ILLEGAL)*/
int faf()[]();	/* function returning array of function returning int (ILLEGAL)*/
int *ffp()();	/* function returning function returning pointer to int (ILLEGAL)*/
int ffa()()[];	/* function returning function returning array of int (ILLEGAL)*/
int fff()()();	/* function returning function returning function returning int (ILLEGAL)*/