assigning a structure (what is happening?)

[Roland Rambau]

pete at eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Pete Schmitt) writes:

->struct inv
->{
->	long number;
->	char name[2];
->}
->struct inv func(s)
->struct inv s;
->{
->	struct inv s2;
->	s2 = s;		/* is this legal?  If not why not. If so why so. */

Yes, its legal ( with ANSI ). Its a structure assignment, will copy 
sizeof( struct inv ) bytes of memory ( 6 byte or 8 byte or whatever
the implementor may need for alignment )

->    	return(s2);	/* it seems to work okay. How do the members get */
->			/* their assignment?  Do pointers come to play here? */

Also legal. There are several quite different techniques to implement this;
but since s2 is an auto object, this return statement will probably imply
another 6-8 byte copy im memory.

->}
Roland Rambau

  rra at cochise.pcs.com,   {unido|pyramid}!pcsbst!rra,   2:507/414.2.fidonet