Re: [PATCH/coding style] clarify pointers and operators

[Martin Liška]

On 11/26/18 6:59 PM, Martin Sebor wrote:
> Martin suggested we update the Coding Conventions to describe
> the expected style for function declarations with a pointer
> return types, and for overloaded operators.  Below is the patch.
> 
> As an aside, regarding the space convention in casts: a crude
> grep search yields about 10,000 instances of the "(type)x" kinds
> of casts in GCC sources and 40,000 of the preferred "(type) x"
> style with the space.  That's a consistency of only 80%.  Is
> it worth documenting a preference for a convention that's so
> inconsistently followed?
> 
> Martin
> 
> Index: htdocs/codingconventions.html
> ===================================================================
> RCS file: /cvs/gcc/wwwdocs/htdocs/codingconventions.html,v
> retrieving revision 1.85
> diff -u -r1.85 codingconventions.html
> --- htdocs/codingconventions.html    30 Sep 2018 14:38:46 -0000    1.85
> +++ htdocs/codingconventions.html    26 Nov 2018 17:59:21 -0000
> @@ -803,12 +803,17 @@
>    <td><code>- x</code></td>
>  </tr><tr>
>    <td class="left">cast</td>
> -  <td class="right"><code>(foo) x</code></td>
> -  <td><code>(foo)x</code></td>
> +  <td class="right"><code>(type) x</code></td>
> +  <td><code>(type)x</code></td>
>  </tr><tr>
> -  <td class="left">pointer dereference</td>
> -  <td class="right"><code>*x</code></td>
> -  <td><code>* x</code></td>
> +  <td class="left">pointer cast</td>
> +  <td class="right"><code>(type *) x</code></td>
> +  <td><code>(type*)x</code></td>
> +</tr>
> +</tr><tr>
> +  <td class="left">pointer return type</td>
> +  <td class="right"><code>type *f (void)</code></td>
> +  <td><code>type* f (void)</code></td>
>  </tr>
>  </table>
> 
> @@ -992,6 +997,21 @@
>  <a href="codingrationale.html#overoper">Rationale and Discussion</a>
>  </p>
> 
> +<p>
> +Note: in declarations of operator functions or in invocations of
> +such functions that involve the keyword <code>operator</code>
> +the full name of the operator should be considered as including
> +the keyword with no spaces in between the keyowrd and the operator
> +token.  Thus, the expected format of a declaration of an operator
> +is<pre>
> +    T &amp;operator== (const T &amp; const T &amp);
> +</pre>
> +and not for example<pre>
> +    T &amp;operator == (const T &amp; const T &amp);
> +</pre>
> +(with the space between <code>operator</code> and <code>==</code>).
> +</p>
> +
> 
>  <h4 id="Default">Default Arguments</h4>
> 

Thank you Martin for the patch, I like it.

Martin