varargs in GPC_(re)

Thu, 13 Mar 1997 23:17:34 -0500

Peter Gerwinski wrote:
> 
> > I thought that GPC did not support varargs.  In fact, I
> > was hoping that it would support the VAX Pascal syntax for
> > doing so.  What is the status of variable arguments for GPC?
> 
> It does support `ellipsis' parameters to call functions with varargs
> written in C.  We have not (yet!;) implemented a portable mechanism to
> access them.
> 
> IMHO, it would be reasonable to implement the VAX Pascal syntax into GPC
> rather than inventing a new method.  If you tell me about the VAX Pascal
> syntax for accessing varargs, it will enable me to do this.

[stuff deleted]

> However:  Please help me to with VAX Pascal vararg syntax!  I don't have
> a VAX, and I don't have the money to buy one, so I need example programs
> with descriptions what they are intended to do, etc. (you know).
> 

Unfortunately, it's been about 7 years since I had access to the compiler.  However, I saw a VAX 
Pascal book in a bookstore and I'm going to pick it up this weekend.  The online help I have seen 
for VAX Pascal did not go into much detail on syntax.

The VAX approach, as I remember it, used an array of parameters.

The VAX Pascal language had two kinds of arrays: ARRAY and VARYING.  The varying kind worked a bit 
like Turbo Pascal strings.  There was a maximum size and a current length.  I think the varargs 
mechanism was similar to the VARYING arrays.

You could define strings as:

TYPE
string = VARYING[1..255] of CHAR;


I'll get back to you on this.

> Greetings,
> 
>     Peter
> 
>   Dipl.-Phys. Peter Gerwinski, Essen, Germany, free physicist and programmer
> peter.gerwinski@uni-essen.de - http://home.pages.de/~peter.gerwinski/ [970201]
>        maintainer GNU Pascal - http://home.pages.de/~gnu-pascal/ [970125]

-- 
Ronald Perrella
perrella@mindspring.com
Roswell, Georgia, USA.

Ronald Perrella (perrella@mindspring.com)